


A Mad Man, A Welsh Star and a Blue Box - The Bad Wolf Arc

by StrikeMoonstone9387



Series: The Mad Man and The Welsh Star [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Female Ianto Jones, Gen, Highlander Crossover, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-02-23 05:09:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 150,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13183029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrikeMoonstone9387/pseuds/StrikeMoonstone9387
Summary: Seren Jones’ life was pretty ordinary and routine. Grieve for her dead parents, work so she could support her and her younger sister, who was in University and also working, deal with her god-mother’s frequent nagging over various reasons and try to live her life as much as possible. Her main goal was seeing her younger sister, Siwan, achieve her dreams, as Seren had pushed aside her own of becoming a gymnast in order to support the two of them.All that went up in flames, literally, when a mad man with a blue box blew up her job and she got entangled in his life of adventure.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Planet Earth. Third planet from the sun, known as Sol 3 to the inhabitants of the Universe, in the Milky Way Galaxy. Home to over 6 billion people, all rushing about to get things done. Most of them go about their day in routine, not realizing just how big the Universe is, content in their own little worlds. One young woman from Wales is about to realize that her world is much bigger than she realized.


	2. Seren

**Seren**

Seren Jones’s day went as it normally did. She woke up at 7:30 in the morning, got dressed in a beige tank top with a beige blazer over it and dark blue denim jeans, her long loosely curled hair tied into a high pony. Her jewelry consisted of a pair of dangling earrings, a cuff bracelet on her left wrist and a heart-shaped necklace around her neck. On her feet were a pair of beige 5” heeled ankle boots.* Once dressed, she made breakfast for her sister Siwan who had a later shift at the hospital, greeted her god-mother Jackie Tyler, went to work at Henrik’s with her god-sister Rose Tyler, had lunch with Rose and Rose’s boyfriend Mickey Smith, and returned to work for the rest of her shift. It was as she was leaving that her life changed forever...

Seren, Rose and a few of the other girls that she worked with were just heading out when the security guard at the door called out to Seren.

“Oy!” he said, making her turn around.

She saw him holding out a sealed bag with money inside. He shook it slightly and she took it from him with a sigh.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Rose asked, looking at the smaller dark-haired woman.

“No, it’s okay.” She replied with a soft Welsh accent, looking up at the taller blonde with wide amethyst doe eyes. “You head home. I’ll be there shortly. Just send Siwan a message telling her I’ll be a bit late.”

Rose nodded and left the building as Seren turned and walked at a fast pace to the service lift, pressing the down button when she reached. Waiting for it to arrive, she saw the guard close the doors of the shop and lock them. Getting in with a resigned sigh, she pressed the button of the floor she wanted to go to and watched as the doors slowly slid shut and take her down to the basement.

The lift bell ‘Dinged’ as it reached the requested floor and Seren slowly got out. Standing in the bleak corridor, she looked both ways and didn’t see anyone.

“Wilson?” She called out loudly, turning to right and walking towards his office. “Wilson, I have the lottery money.” Reaching his office, she saw that his door was closed. Knocking on the door that said 'HP Wilson, CEO', she called out again, “Wilson. Are you there?” Trying the door, she found it to be locked. “I can’t stay, they’re closing the shop.” She called through the closed door, still receiving no response. “Wilson!” she sighed in frustration when she still received no response.

She was just about to try calling again when she heard a sudden noise behind her.

“Hello?” she called out, turning to the sound in curiosity. She began slowly walking down the corridor in the direction of the sound, believing it to be Wilson. “Hello, Wilson. It’s Seren. Hello?” Stopping in front of the fire door, she called out again, this time somewhat more hesitantly. “Wil…Wilson?”

Trying the door, she found it unlocked and it opened with a slight push. Walking in and taking in the darkness of the room, making it look all the more frightening, she switched on the lights, revealing it to be the storage room for the shop’s mannequins.

“Wilson?!” She called out again loudly, walking between the rows of stored dummies. “Wilson!”

Reaching the end of the row she was walking down, she noticed another door, this one with restricted access. As she tried it, the fire door she had just come through slammed shut, making her jump around in alarm. She ran back to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” she muttered to herself angrily, tugging at the door handle with all her might. Hearing a sound behind her, she turned back to face the room. “Is that someone messing around?” She cried out, slightly scared but managing to keep a brave face. She slowly walked deeper into the room, absently tucking a curled lock of hair behind her ear as she tightened the grip on the bag containing the lottery money. “Who is it?” She called out, her masked fear giving way to visible anger.

Behind her, a male mannequin’s head turns of its own accord with a slight ‘creak’. Hearing the sound, Seren’s head whip[ed around, just in time to see the mannequin step out of the shadow of the pillar it was standing beside. It slowly walked towards her as Seren slowly walked backwards.

“If this is a joke, you got me.” She said softly. “Very funny.”  She saw another mannequin behind the first begin walking towards her as well. “Right, I’ve got the joke.” She said loudly, trying to draw out the pranksters. “Whose idea was this?” she glanced around behind her before turning to the mannequins still walking towards her. “Was this Derek’s idea? Was it?” She stepped back to avoid some of the other mannequins that were approaching her. “Derek, is it you?” She called out as she moved away from the mannequins that were, unknown to her, herding her towards the wall. “I swear, if this is Derek’s doing, I’m going to kill him.” Seren muttered to herself darkly as the mannequins moved closer to her.

Walking backwards and taking in the slowly moving mannequins, she tripped over a box. With a slight whimper, she regained her footing and continued walking backwards, wanting to get away from them as well as keep them in sight. The slowly herded her towards the wall, reaching a hand up towards her. She took a deep breath and kicked the one directly in front of her, sending several tumbling backwards.

Seeing them regain their footing and begin marching towards her once more, she tugged on the door, trying to get it open.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed again, this time in exasperation.

She turned back to the approaching mannequins and moved into a defensive position, her legs spread apart slightly and her hands in front of her as she kicked out at them as they approached her. There was no way she was going to die in a shop basement and leave her sisters alone. They already lost their parents and her elder sister, Rhiannon, had just had another baby. As the mannequins temporarily halted their approach, she lowered her hands and took a breath. Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers and she turned to look at the man holding hers.

“Run.” He said as he pulled her through the door just in time as the mannequin lowered his hand and severed the pipeline that was directly behind her, missing her by a hair’s breath. They ran through the doors with the mannequins in close pursuit behind them. As they ran down the corridor, Seren saw other mannequins reaching out to them, stopped only by the locked grates holding them back. Running through another set of double doors, they came to the service lift.

The man pressed the ‘up’ button and the doors opened. Just as the man pulled Seren inside, the mannequin in front stuck its hand through the closing lift doors. He wrestled with the mannequin as it made grabbing motions with its hand. Seren watched in shock as the man yanked at the arm a few times before it finally came off, letting the lift doors to close completely.

“You pulled his arm off!” Seren said in shock, staring at him.

“Yup! Plastic.” The man said cheerfully in a Northern accent as he threw the arm at her. Seren caught it on instinct as the man grinned maniacally at her and turned back to face the doors.

“You’re mad!” Seren breathed, shaking her head. “Completely mad!”

She took in his appearance. He had blue eyes, a slightly large nose, closely cropped short hair with large ears, and a well-muscled 6”4 frame. He was wearing a dark maroon jumper under a well-worn dark brown-black leather jacket and black trousers with a watch on his wrist. He looked to be in his late thirties – early forties.

What seemed to strike Seren was that his eyes seemed so  _old_ , older than his face and seemed to portray a pain that could not be described. A pain that could only be understood by those who experienced it.

“Okay, that was odd.” Seren said shakily, causing him to look at her. “Who were they? Were they students?” she asked, her shock giving way to irritation. As she looked at him, she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  _“Please tell me they were students.”_  She thought to herself.

“Why would they be students?” The man asked confused, turning to face at the young woman. He took in her 5”1 hourglass figure, hip-length chestnut brown hair in loose curls (currently up in a pony), large amethyst purple doe-eyes framed by long thick eyelashes, arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, pale white skin and cupid bow lips.

“I don’t know.” She replied with a shrug.

“Well, you said it. Why students?”

“Because, to get that many people dressed up and being silly. They have got to be students.”

“That makes sense.” The man said with a small smile. “Well done.”

“Thanks.” Seren replied sarcastically.

“They’re not students.” He said.

“I was hoping you weren’t going to say that.” Seren said with a groan. “Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he’s going to call the police.”

“Who’s Wilson?” he asked.

“Chief electrician.”

“Wilson’s dead.” The man told her calmly as the lift doors opened and he walked out.

“That’s not funny.” Seren said with a frown, shaking off her shock at the man’s attitude and walking out of the lift. “That’s sick!”

“Hold on.” The man said as he took something out of his jackets’ inside pocket. “Mind your eyes.”

“I’ve had enough of this now.” Seren said, building towards a rant as the man aimed his device at the lift mechanism and pressed a button and it emitted a fluorescent blue light at the control, causing it to disable with a few sparks.

She flinched at the sparks as the man began to head down the corridor at the back of the department store.

“Who are you, then? Who were they down there?” Seren asked, still holding the plastic arm as she began following him when he didn’t answer. “Please give me an answer, who are they?”

“They’re made of plastic.” The man replied, ducking through the clear sheets that separated the storage area of the department store from the loading, shipping and receiving areas. “They’re living plastic creatures.” He began rummaging through his pockets as he spoke. “They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this.” He stopped for a moment and turned to her, showing her the device, which was a small bomb. “So,” he continued as he began moving again, towards the back entrance to the department store. “I am going to go upstairs and blow it up.” He held the door open as he gently pushed Seren out of the building. “And I may well die in the process.” He smiled at her. “But don’t worry about me. No, you go home. Go on.” He gently pushed the young woman out and she turned to face him as he continued. “Go and have your lovely beans on toast.” His voice turned serious. “Don’t tell anyone about this, because if you do, you’ll get them killed.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned back inside and let the door close behind him as Seren stood and stared in shock.

The door opened again just as she turned to head down the street.

“I’m the Doctor, by the way.” The man said cheerfully as he poked his head back out. “What’s your name?”

“Seren.”

“Nice to meet you Seren.” The man, the Doctor, said with a genuine smile that lit up his face. “Run for your life!” he waved the small bomb in his hand and he shut the door once more.

Seren turned and, after a moment’s hesitation, ran out of the alley and down the street to the main road. Reaching the main junction, she leaned against the building pillar and panted, constantly looking nervously at the mannequins in the windows of the shops around her.  Catching her breath, she crossed the road, only to nearly become a hood ornament of a black taxi cab.

“Watch it!” the driver called, honking his horn as he passed by her.

Getting to the other side of the road, she looked back at Henrik’s only to see it standing tall as it always did. She had just turned around to head home, ready to brush the whole thing off as a bad dream, when there was a loud explosion behind her. Turning back to look at the building, she saw that the whole upper levels of Hendrik’s had gone up in flames, as a secondary explosion took out the second level directly below the first. With wide eyes, she turned and ran down the street as people began screaming at the sudden explosion on the, until then, ordinary night. With a gasp, she ran, not noticing as she passed an out-of-date blue police box that was standing between two shops.

When she got home, the 8:45 BBC News 24 was playing on the television and keeping everyone informed of the situation.

 _“The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire.”_ The news caster was saying. “ _Early reports indicate…”_

Seren curled up on the love seat in front of the television and flipped through a magazine, having tossed the plastic arm (the only evidence that her encounter with the Doctor was real) on another sofa. Rose had her arm looped through hers, having not let her go since the moment she returned to their joined dual-flat.

“I know. It’s on the telly.” Jackie said as she came out of the kitchen holding the phone to her ear with one hand and a mug of tea with the other as she spoke to the person on the other end. “It’s everywhere.” She handed the mug of tea to her god-daughter who took it with an exasperated look at older woman. “She’s lucky to be alive! Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now, you’d think I was  _her_  god-daughter.” Mickey walked into the flat. “Oh, and here’s himself.” Jackie muttered as she walked further into the flat as Mickey went straight to the girls and ignored Jackie’s comment.

“I’ve been phoning your mobile. You could’ve been dead. It’s been on the news and everything.” Mickey cried hysterically as he knelt next to Seren and put a hand on hers. “I can’t believe your shop went up!”

“I’m alright. Honestly, I’m fine.” Seren said as Mickey pulled her into a hug, grateful that his best friend was safe and unharmed. “Don’t make a fuss.” He pulled away and sat next to Rose.

“But what happened?” He asked, putting his arm on the back rest behind Rose’s head.

“I don’t know.” Seren replied, rubbing her forehead.

“What was it? What caused it?” Mickey probed.

“I wasn’t in the shop.” Seren lied as she took the warning she was given seriously, leaning forward and putting the magazine back on the coffee table, before leaning back and slouching again. “I didn’t see anything.”

“It’s Debbie on the end.” Jackie said to Seren as she walked back in to the sitting room with the phone held against her chest to keep Debbie from hearing what she was saying to Seren. “She knows a man on the 'Mirror'. 500 quid for an interview.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant.” Seren said, sitting up with a smile. “May I?”

Getting the phone from her god-mother, Seren ended the call and slammed the phone on the coffee table before sitting back on the sofa in her previous position as Mickey and Rose watched the pair. Jackie crossed her arms in indignation.

“Well, you both have got to find some way of making money.” Jackie pointed out to her. “Your job’s kaput and I’m not bailing you out.” The phone rang again and Jackie picked it up and answered. “Bev! She’s alive!” She said into the phone. She paused for a moment as Bev said something. “I’ve told her,” Jackie began, walking out of the room. “Sue for compensation. She was within seconds of death!”

Seren rolled her eyes as she heard her god-mother’s side of the conversation with Bev.

“Mum’s right.” Rose said softly. “You were within seconds of death.”

“I wasn’t in the shop Rose.” Seren said softly, painfully realizing just how close the two blondes were to the truth.

“What are you drinking, tea?” Mickey asked her as he took the mug she was holding from her and looked at its contents. “Nah, nah, nah.” He said, standing up and putting the mug on the coffee table. “You’re in shock. You need something stronger.” He took he hand in both of his slightly larger ones and gently tugged at her.

“I’m alright.” Seren repeated her statement from before, which was rapidly beginning to sound like a broken record to her.

“Now come on.” Mickey insisted. “You deserve a proper drink. We’re going down the pub, you and me. My treat. How about it?”

“You know I don’t drink.” Seren said with a light laugh.

“Is there a match on?” Rose asked him with a knowing smile.

Mickey looked affronted at the question as he sat back down next to her.

“No, no.” He said shaking his head and looking at her. “Just thinking about Seren.”

“There’s a match on, ain’t there.” Rose said knowingly as she smiled at him.

“Well that’s not the point.” Mickey muttered, slouching slightly as his girlfriend caught his true intention for wanting to go to the pub, though he was truly worried about his best friend. “But we could catch the last five minutes.” He added hopefully.

“Go on, then.” Seren said with a smile, leaning over Rose and gently pushing at his chest. “I’m fine really. Go.” As Mickey stood up, she gestured to the sofa where the plastic arm was. “Can you get rid of that, please?”

Mickey smiled and gestures for her to come closer. She leans up and he kisses her cheek before Mickey turns to Rose and kisses her briefly and pushes her back into her slouched position as he stands up and picks up the arm Seren was referring to.

“Buh-bye.” Mickey says in a high voice, waving the plastic arm.

“Bye.” The two god-sisters replied with a laugh as Mickey pretends to be strangled by the arm and walks out of the flat.

Seren watches him go with a smile, Rose curled around her, before it fades when he’s out of sight as she ponders whether or not the mysterious man survived the explosion. She turned back to the television that was now showing the fire department putting out the blaze, as the news caster provided the commentary.

_“Fire then spread throughout the store. Fifteen fire crews are in attendance though it's thought there is very little chance of saving the infrastructure.”_

Outside, Mickey whistled to himself as he ignored a couple nearby that were having a blazing row and tossed the plastic arm into the bin that was standing beside the building before walking off towards the pub.

A short while later, Seren’s sister, Siwan, entered the flat and went straight to her. The two girls were identical, except for the eyes and the age. Seren had amethyst purple eyes and was 23, while Siwan had sapphire blue eyes with sleek rectangle, black wire-framed glasses covering the orbs and was 22. Aside from those aspects, they had the same long hip-length chestnut brown hair in loose ringlets that started from mid-back in natural layers, 5”1 hourglass figures, large doe-eyes framed by long thick eyelashes, arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, pale white skin, small button noses and full cupid bow lips.

Rose moved to the side so that the two sisters could hug, as the younger took in the fact that the older was alive. Siwan didn’t ask any questions, the three girls sitting on the sofa and holding each other, while Rose filled her in on the little that Seren had told them.

After a while, the events of the evening caught up to Seren and she let out a yawn, Siwan following suit as she had just finished a double shift with another single shift beginning the next morning.

The two girls said their good-byes to the Tyler women and went to their side of the dual flat, which had initially been two separate flats but had been renovated with the Council’s permission after the girls moved to London from Cardiff after their parents’ died.

“You were in the shop, weren’t you?” Siwan asked quietly, pulling her pajama tank top on as her sister brushed out her hair.

Seren put her brush down and looked at her sister.

“Yes.” She replied after a moment.

“And you didn’t say so because everyone would make more of a fuss.” Siwan said, not asking but pointing out a fact.

Seren nodded in response. Even if the Doctor hadn’t warned her not to tell anyone what had happened, she still wouldn’t have said she had been in the shop.

“There’s more.” Siwan said, looking at her sister. The older girl had the same look on her face that Rhiannon did when telling them that their parents had died in the car accident that sent the two near-twins into three-day comas.

Seren nodded.

“Thank you for telling me. Even if you can’t tell me everything, know that I am here.” Siwan said.

“I know.” Seren replied, tears in her eyes as Siwan kissed her cheek and walked to her own room.

The next morning, Seren and Rose’s alarms went off at 7:30 as usual. Turning the alarm off, Seren sat up in bed, her eyes still filled with sleep and her long hair tussled.

“There’s no point getting up, sweethearts.” Jackie called from the other room when she heard their alarms go off. “You’ve got no job to go to.”

Realizing the truth in her mother’s words, Rose flopped back against her pillows with a sigh as she went back to sleep, at least for a little while longer.

Seren on the other hand, got up and got dressed, years of routine not letting her stay in bed for very long. She dressed in a purple sleeveless blouse that matched her eyes, a blue denim knee-length skirt, purple 5” high heeled sandals, and a pair of silver and amethyst earrings with a matching bracelet on her right wrist (<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879475865903/>). She pulled her long hair back into a half-pony, securing it in place with a matching purple ribbon. She checked in on Siwan who was still sleeping, and, after a quick look at the alarm clock that showed it was set to go off at 8:00, Seren went about making breakfast, all the while pondering about where she could find employment as she needed some way of supporting her and her sister, so Siwan didn’t have to worry about it while still in school – even if the younger girl insisted on being able to provide for her own pocket money so she wouldn’t need to constantly ask her sister for money.

Seren had just finished platting the scrambled eggs when Rose, dressed in a grey short-sleeved shirt that showed off her shoulder joints, jeans and trainers, with a pair of hoop earrings that Seren and Siwan had gifted her with one year on her birthday and usual amount of make-up, consisting of mascara and lip gloss, wandered in.

“Smells good.” She commented, taking the plates to the table where the blonde was joined by Siwan and Jackie, both in their dressing gowns (Jackie’s in pink while Siwan’s was powder blue and she had her glasses on). Siwan went to the kitchen to make the coffee and tea for them while Seren grabbed the toast and the two Welshwomen joined the two blondes at the table as they ate. They ate in silence, too early in the morning for proper conversation, especially since the caffeine hadn’t made it through their systems.

“Thanks Seren.” Siwan said after finishing her food and taking her plate to the sink, rinsing it and putting it on the drying rack. She kissed Seren’s cheek before going to shower and get ready for work.

With no job to get to, Rose and Seren found themselves sitting at the dining table a short while later, Rose playing with an apple, as Jackie gave the two ideas of where they could get another job.

“There’s Finch’s.” Jackie suggested, coming out of the kitchenette with a mug of tea in her hand, still dressed in her pink dressing gown, and sitting down next to Rose at the table. “You could try them. They’ve always got jobs.”

“Oh, great.” Rose replied sarcastically. “The butchers!”

“We can check it out.” Seren said practically. “Although there  _is_  a reason why they always have jobs Aunt Jackie.”

“And it might do you good.” Jackie told them, though mostly Rose. “That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I’m not joking about compensation, Seren.” She stood up. “You’ve had genuine shock and trauma.” She stopped behind Rose’s chair as she continued. “Arianna got two thousand quid of the Council just ‘cause the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!” she went into her room as Rose and Seren frowned in confusion. “I know she _is_  Greek, but that’s not the point. It was a valid point.”

Hearing something rattle at the door, Seren and Rose looked towards the front door, before glancing at each other and letting out exasperated sighs.

“Mum, you’re such a liar!” Rose yelled.

“Aunt Jackie, you were supposed to nail that cat flap down.” Seren called to the older blonde as she went to the door. “We’re going to keep getting strays.”

“I did it weeks back.” Came Jackie’s defensive reply from her room as Seren came to a stop in front of the door.

“Somehow, I get the feeling you  _thought_  about it.” Seren muttered, squatting down next to the door and holding her long hair back with one hand.

Seeing several nails on the floor in front of the door, clearly removed from the cat flap. She picked one up and, out of the corner of her eye, saw the cat flap move. Moving back slightly, she crouched down on all fours, and moving her hair to the side, she pushed the cat flap open. She stood up with a shocked gasp when she saw the Doctor on the other side. She opened the door to see an equally surprised Doctor standing outside her door. The Doctor was wearing the same thing he was the day before, though his jumper was a lighter maroon.

“What are  _you_  doin’ here?” the Doctor asked her in surprise.

“I live here.” Seren replied.

“Well, what do you that for?” he probed.

“Because I do.” Seren said back, before adding pointedly, “I’m only home because  _someone_  blew up mine and my god-sister’s job.”

“I must have gotten the wrong signal.” The Doctor muttered turning to Seren. “You’re not plastic are you?” he knocked her forehead getting a frustrated growl from the young woman in response. “Nope, bonehead. Bye, then.”

He turned to leave when Seren reached out and grabbed the Doctor’s arm and pulled him inside.

“You, inside.” She muttered, closing the door behind them.

“Who is it?” Jackie asked from her room, hearing the nose coming from the doorway.

Seren ducked into the doorway of her god-mother’s bedroom where the older woman was putting on her makeup.

“It’s about last night.” Seren said, making Jackie turn to her. “He’s part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes, please.”

Seren turned back around and walked further into the flat.

“She deserves compensation.” Jackie told the Doctor, making him stop in the woman’s bedroom doorway.

“Oh, we’re talking millions.” The man replied seriously.

Jackie stood up, realizing that she was in her dressing gown and that there was a strange man in her bedroom.

“I’m in my dressing gown.” Jackie said softly.

“Yes, you are.” The Doctor replied absently, looking in where Rose, seeing that they had a guest, was quickly clearing up some of the clutter.

“There’ a strange man in my bedroom.” Jackie commented leadingly, making him turn to look at her once more.

“Yes, there is.” He agreed.

“Well, anything could happen.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened as he finally realized what the woman was saying.

“No.” the Doctor shook his head and walked further into the flat.

“Don’t mind the mess.” Rose said as she stacked some magazines that were lying about and putting them on the coffee table.

“Do you want a coffee?” Seren asked, heading towards the kitchen.

“Might as well, thanks. Just milk.” The Doctor said.

“Seren, I’ll make it.” Rose said as they heard Siwan’s mobile, which was on the counter charging, start to ring.

Seren nodded and picked up the mobile and answered it.

“Hello, Siwan Jones’ mobile.” Seren said into the phone.

“ _Seren?_ ” came the voice on the accented voice on the other end.  _“It’s Adam. Adam Pierson. Can I talk to Siwan, please?”_

“Sure, give me a moment.” Seren replied as the Doctor picked up a magazine that was on top of the pile on the coffee table.

“Siwan, Dr. Pierson is on your mobile for you!” Seren yelled through the door, and heard the shower turn off.

“One moment!” Siwan called back. “I’m almost done!” A second later, Siwan came out of the bathroom in a towel, with her long hair wrapped up in another towel. She took the outstretched phone with a smile of thanks and held it to her ear. “Jones here.” Siwan turned and headed to her room, barely glancing at the man standing in the living room.

Seren turned back to the living room, where the Doctor was commenting on the magazine he was looking at.

“Hmm, that won’t last.” The Doctor muttered quietly looking inside the magazine. “He’s gay and she’s alien.” He close the magazine and put it back.

“We should go to the police.” Seren said as she sat down on one of the sofas. “Or is that out of the question?” she cocked her head to the side.

“Completely out of the question.” He replied, picking up a paperback book and flipping through it.

“Hmm, sad ending.” He commented.

“It said on the news that they found a body.” Seren said, trying to get him to focus.

“‘Seren Jones’.” The Doctor read from an envelope that was on the counter as Seren shook her head as the man continued as he was. He got a glimpse of himself in the mirror and peered for a closer look. “Ahh, could’ve been worse.” He commented to himself. “Look at me ears!” He reached up and wiggled his ear lobe.

“Okay.” Siwan said, coming out in her dressing gown, with the towel still wrapped around her hair. She had put her glasses back on, unable to see without them. “Dr. Pierson wants me to attend a dinner with him and some of his friends that are in town from Seacouver on Wednesday night.” She grabbed her mobile charger and turned back to her sister. “What do I wear?”

“Your black sleeveless dress.” Seren replied automatically.

Siwan nodded, before noticing the man in their flat. “Who are you?” she asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

“He’s part of the inquiry.” Seren replied.

Siwan nodded, but recognized that her sister was keeping something from her. “I’m in my dressing gown, so I am going back to my room so I can change, since I have to leave for work shortly. It was nice to meet you, whoever you are.” She waved at him and went back to her room, mobile and charger in hand.

They heard the sounds of her music playing as she began to get ready.

The Doctor picked up a deck of cards and shuffles them.

“Luck be a lady.” He sang as he shuffled the cards once again, and sent them flying around the room. “Maybe not.”

Seren shook her head in exasperation as Siwan came out of her room, dressed for work in a pair of slim fit navy blue trousers with a slim belt around her tiny waist, a sapphire blue long-sleeved button-down top tucked into her trousers, a navy blue blazer that was unbuttoned and a simple silver watch on her delicate left wrist (<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/379076493626129052/>) with a pair of small sapphire studs in her ears and her glasses on her face. On her dainty feet were a pair of navy blue 5” heeled pumps and her long hair was pulled into her customary French twist (<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/483151866247367808/>) to keep it out of her way while she worked.

“What happened in here?” Siwan asked, taking in the cards tossed around the room.

“He tried to shuffle them.” Seren replied, rolling her eyes as Siwan kissed her cheek.

“Okay, well, I’m off.” She said, heading out the door. “I love you!”

“Love you!” came the reply from the three remaining women in the flat as she left, closing the door behind her.

“What’s that then?” the Doctor asked, as they heard a rattling coming from behind the sofa a few minutes after SIwan left. “You got a cat?” he knelt on the sofa and looked behind it.

“No, not anymore.” Seren replied, jumping off the sofa and backing away. “We did have, but now we just get strays. They come in off the Estate.”

The plastic arm that the Doctor had removed the day before leapt up and grabbed him by the throat and he struggled to fight it off. Seren leapt up to help him, tugging at the plastic arm as Rose, in the kitchen making coffee didn’t notice what was happening. The Doctor having both hands on the plastic arm as he tried to pry it off his throat and save himself from death by strangulation.

The Doctor finally managed to tug the arm off his throat and toss it away, only for it to freeze in mid-air for a moment before grabbing Seren’s face. The woman let out a muffled scream as she struggled against the plastic, being pushed back against the wall as the Doctor jumped up and began trying to pry it off her face.

In her bedroom, Jackie picked up the hair dryer and turned it, running it through her hair and not hearing any of the commotion occurring in her sitting room with her god-daughter and her guest.

The Doctor tugged at it with both hands forcefully, causing the two of them to fall into the coffee table, smashing it to pieces as the Doctor landed on his back with Seren on top of him. The Doctor pushed Seren back towards the sofa with a grunt as he scrambled to his feet. Seren tugged at the arm on her face as the Doctor rummaged through his pockets and removed his screwdriver. He managed to finally remove the arm from Seren’s face, who promptly scrambled as far back as she could on the sofa, as he took the still wriggling arm and aimed his screwdriver at it, jamming it into the plastic palm and the fingers stopped flexing, giving a sigh of relief.

“It’s alright.” The Doctor told Seren. “It’s stopped. See?” he tossed the arm at Seren, who caught with a gasp and held it gingerly. “Armless.” He laughed at his pun as Seren rolled her large eyes.

“Do you think so?” She asked, hitting him with the arm.

“Ow!” he cried, rubbing the sore spot and standing up.

Rose came running out of the kitchen, realizing that something had happened.

“Seren, you okay?” she asked frantically. She looked at the arm, “Didn’t you tell Mickey to chuck that out yesterday?”

“Yeah, Rose. I’m fine.” Seren replied. She turned towards the Doctor, “What about you…?” she trailed off when she saw that he had gone, the door open, “He left!” she grumbled as she grabbed her purple purse that matched her outfit and ran out behind him, Rose following her a second later, stopping to grab her jacket.

The two caught up with him on the stairwell.

“Hold on a minute.” Rose cried angrily as she followed them down the stairwell. “You can’t go swanning off.”

“Yes I can. Here I am.” The Doctor replied. “This is me, swanning off.” He waved the plastic hand he was holding at her. “See ya.”

“Maybe we should listen to him, Rose.” Seren said, gently taking the younger girl’s arm. “He seems to know what he’s doing. And we’ve already got enough to worry about.”

“But that arm was moving.” Rose protested. “It tried to kill you Seren.”

“Ten out of ten for observation.” The Doctor remarked sarcastically.

“You can’t just walk away. That’s not fair. You’ve got to tell us what’s going on.” Rose pleaded.

“No I don’t.” he replied as they walked out of the building block.

“Alright then. I’ll go to the police. I’ll tell everyone.” Rose said as she and Seren walked alongside the Doctor. “You told Seren that if she did that, she’d get people killed, so, your choice.”

Seren’s eyes widened in shock as she heard what the blonde was saying.

“Rose!” she yelled in shocked horror, making the two of them turn to look at her. “Why would you say that? I  _won’t_  be the cause of people dying.” She turned to the Doctor. “But really, who are you?”

“Told you. The Doctor.” He replied.

“Yeah, but Doctor what?” Rose asked.

“Just the Doctor.” The man replied.

“The Doctor?” Seren repeated skeptically.

“Hello!” the man waved his hand at her.

“Is that supposed to sound impressive?” Rose asked him snidely.

“Sort of.”

“Well, I find it somewhat impressive.” Seren said with a smile, looking up at the larger man. “I’m Seren Jones, and this is my god-sister, Rose Tyler. It’s nice to meet you, and thank you for saving me.” She gave him a radiant smile that lit up her beautiful face.

“Nice to properly meet you.” The Doctor replied with a smile of his own, his eyes dancing with laughter as he shook her hand.

“Come on. You can tell us. Seren’s seen enough.” Rose said, making the two look at her. She paused for a moment before a thought occurred to her. “Are you the police?”

“No.” he replied. “I was just passing through. I’m a long way from home.”

Seren looked at him questioningly, seeing and recognizing the look of sadness on his face.

“What has she done wrong?” Rose asked suddenly, making Seren turn to her. “Why are those plastic things coming after Seren?”

“Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around your sister!” the Doctor exclaimed sarcastically, before promptly bursting the young woman’s bubble. “|She was just an accident. She got in the way, that’s all.”

“That makes sense.” Seren muttered practically, she was hardly important enough for a bunch of plastic mannequins to want to kill her for something other than having gotten in the way.

The Doctor glanced at her curiously, slightly surprised by her practical attitude towards everything, so very different from the blonde.

“It tried to kill her!” Rose reminded him, looking ready to slap him.

“It was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, she blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on her is 'cos she met me.”

“So what you’re saying is that the entire world revolves around you?” Rose summarized incredulously.

“Sort of, yeah.” He replied nodding.

“You’re full of it!” Seren commented to him with a laugh.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“All this plastic stuff,” Rose started, turning serious. “Who else knows about it?”

“No one.” he replied.

“What, you are on your own?” Seren asked, surprised and slightly concerned.

“Well, who else is there?” he asked back, shrugging his shoulders. “I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on.”

“Okay,” Seren said slowly, reaching around him to grab the plastic arm from his hand and making him and Rose look at her in surprise. “Start from the beginning, please.”

The Doctor looked at her for a long moment as she met his gaze. He saw something in her eyes, resignation and acceptance. The look you would only get if you had to struggle and fight for what little you have.

“If we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do, how did you kill it?” Rose asked, as they three of them walked through a large field. She turned to the shorter brunette, “Seren, you don’t believe this, do you?”

“Yes I do.” Seren replied. “It’s far too elaborate to be fake. Not to mention, I had an army of shop mannequins attack me and one of them come back for a follow-up, regardless of whether they were after me or not.” She let out a sigh. “And besides, he’s saved me twice, so he at least deserves the benefit of the doubt, if nothing else.”

The Doctor nodded at her in appreciation and she smiled back at him.

“The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead.” The Doctor said, replying to Rose’s question.

“So that’s radio control?” Rose asked hesitantly.

“No, thought control.” Seren corrected her, looking up at the cloudless sky with a sigh.

“Are you alright, Seren?”

“Yes.” Seren replied absently before turning them back on topic. “So, who’s controlling it, then?”

“Long story.” The Doctor replied.

“But what’s it all for?” Rose probed, confusion evident in her voice. “I mean, shop window dummies. What’s that about?” She gave a slight chuckle. “Is someone trying to take over Britain shops?”

The three of them laughed at the absurdity of the question.

“No.” the Doctor said chuckling. “It’s not a price war!” he stopped laughing. “They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you.” Rose and Seren slowly stopped laughing as well as they took in what the taller man was saying. He looked Rose, a move mimicked by Seren. “Do you believe me?”

“No.”

“But you’re still listening.” he pointed out.

“Really, though Doctor…tell me.” Seren said, her and Rose coming to a stop as the he continued walking towards a corner where a blue police box was standing. “Who are you?”

He stopped and turned to face her. He was silent for a moment as she watched him.

“Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving?” The Doctor began and receiving a nod from Seren, he continued as he walked back towards her. “It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning, and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it.” The Doctor took Seren’s tiny hand with his own larger one as he looked off in to the distance. “The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it.” Seren looks at him, and sees that his eyes seem so much older than his face. “We're falling through space, the both of us, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go...” He let go of her hand as he looked at her. “That's who I am. Now, forget me, Seren Jones.” The Doctor took the plastic arm from Rose and waved at the two with it. “Go home.”

He turned around and began walking again as Seren stared after his retreating back. Such a strange man, beautiful and strange in an almost otherworldly way, with eyes that seem so much older than his appearance. As he walked, he could hear the TARDIS’ song echoing in the back of his mind, the only constant presence he has of his home and legacy that lived on through him alone.

With a sigh, Seren and Rose turned and walked back towards the flats. There was a sudden rush of air, followed by a strange grinding noise. Seren stopped and turned, listening as she heard the strange grinding sound again. She ran towards it, back through the field. She came to a stop where she was just with the Doctor, only to find him to have disappeared. The blue box that stood on the corner had also disappeared. She shook her head and walked off, Rose changing their direction to go to Mickey’s flat rather than their where Seren had been intending to go.

Mickey opened the door after the first knock.

“Hey, hey, here's my women.” He chuckled, smacking Rose bum as Seren scrunched her face at him in amusement. He was wearing a t-shirt and boxers. “Kit off!”

“Shut up.” Rose said, smiling as they kissed in greeting.

“Coffee?” Mickey asked them as they walked into the flat.

“Yeah, only if you wash the mug.” Rose replied as they walked towards the kitchen. “And I don’t mean rinse, I mean, wash.”

“You know I don’t drink coffee.” Seren reminded him with a smile.

“Can I use your computer?” Rose asked him, already heading towards his room and pulling Seren along as well.

“Yeah.” Mickey replied before calling to their retreating backs, “Any excuse to get in the bedroom!” He entered the kitchen and headed to the kettle before yelling out, “Don’t read my emails!” He didn’t get a reply, only the sound of the door shutting.

Inside the room, Seren let the door shut as Rose sat at the computer chair and looked at the open search engine. After a moment, she typed in ‘Doctor’ and hit the search button.

“Rose, what are you doing?” Seren asked as the search results in 17,700,000 results.

Rose ignores her as types in ‘Doctor Living Plastic’ which result in 55,300 results.

“Rose, he had asked us to leave him be.” Seren reminded her, only to be ignored by the blonde.

Finally she types in ‘Doctor Blue Box’ and hits search.

The last search results in 493 results, the top most result being a link that says, ‘Doctor Who?’ with the caption saying ‘…do you know this man? Contact Clive here’. She clicks on the link and a fuzzy picture of the Doctor pops up. Below the picture was the caption ‘Do you know this man? Contact Clive here’. And below it was a list of contact information.

With a shrug, Rose clicked the email information and opened up the messaging center. She sent the man an email and waited for a reply.

“Rose, he asked us not to tell anyone about him!” Seren hissed, the blonde finally turning to look at her. “I haven’t even told Siwan!”

“You may be okay with him swanning off and leaving us with more questions than answers, but I’m not!” Rose replied with an angry hiss as the computer let out an alert of a new email.

Opening it, Rose saw that it was from Clive.

The next hour passed with Rose and Clive exchanging emails - Seren repeatedly telling the blonde to stop only to be ignored - finally settling on Rose and Seren meeting him in person as he had several documents he thought they might want to see. Rose agreed to meet him and Mickey says he’ll drive them, not wanting his best friend and girlfriend to meet some strange man on their own.

The entire drive, Mickey was trying to convince Rose to let him go inside with them and she refused.

“You’re not coming in.” Rose tells Mickey again as he pulls his VW Beetle onto Clive’s street. He parks the beetle across from Clive’s home. “He’s safe.” They unbuckle their seatbelts as Rose continues, hoping to assuage some of his paranoia.  Mickey turned off the engine and turned to face her. “He’s got a wife and kids.”

“Yeah, who told you that?” Mickey asked her, before replying to his own question. “He did.” He pointed out Rose’s window towards the man’s home. “That’s exactly what an internet lunatic murderer would say!”

Seren privately agreed as Rose just looked at him and shook her head, getting out of the car with Seren flowing with a resigned sigh. Seren shut the door and knocked on the window before the two women crossed the road.

One of Clive’s neighbors put out his black bin and gave Mickey a nasty look, receiving one back. Rose knocked on Clive’s door and a young boy opened it.

“Hello.” Rose said to him with a gentle smile. “I’ve come to see Clive? We’ve been… emailing.”

The boy looked at her for a moment before calling out into the house.

“Dad! It’s some of your” the boy looked Rose and Seren up and down before finishing, “nutters!”

A middle-aged, slightly overweight, dark haired man came to the door as his son went back to what he was doing.

“Hello. You must be Rose and Seren.” The man said smiling at her as he put his hand out for them to shake. “I’m Clive, obviously.”

“I'd better tell you now. My boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us.” Rose said with a smile at the goofy older man, pointing towards Mickey watching them from across the road.

“No, good point.” Clive chuckled. “No murders.”

Clive waved at Mickey as the younger man lowered his window, still looking very distrustful.

“Who is it?” a woman called from upstairs.

“Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor.” Clive replied back. “They’ve been reading the website.” He turned back to them and said, “Please, come through. I'm in the shed.”

He let them into and through the house to the shed.

“They? They’ve read the website about the Doctor? ‘They’ is two girls?” Clive’s wife asked as she came down the stairs with a basket of laundry in her arms and closed the door.

“A lot of this stuff’s quite sensitive.” Clive explained as he led the two girls into the shed and turned the lights on. “I couldn’t just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean.” Rose nodded as he pulled out a thick file. “If you dig deep enough and keep a lively mind, this Doctor crops up all over the place… political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories.” He put the file on the table in front of them and opened it as he continued, “No first name, no last name, just ‘the Doctor’ – always ‘the Doctor’. And the title seem to be passed down from father to son– appears to be an inheritance of some sort. That’s your Doctor there, isn’t it?” He pointed to his open webpage on his laptop.

Seren looked at the web page and nodded.

“I tracked it down to the Washington public archive just last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original,” he took out a plastic film and removed a few photographs, showing them to Rose and Seren. He pointed to the image of President Kennedy’s cortege going through Dallas, where the Doctor’s face, circled in red ink, was just one face in the crowd. “November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. You see?”

“It must be his father.” Rose breathed, the resemblance was absolutely uncanny.

“Going further back…” Clive continued, putting the photographs down and getting another photograph and a sketchbook. “April 1912. This is a photo of the Daniels family of Southampton, and friend.” He showed her a black and white photo of a family of six with the Doctor, dressed in that period’s clothing, standing next to them. “This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World on the Titanic, and for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived. Here we are…1883. Another Doctor.” He grabbed a sketch and showed her the man standing on a beach dressed in clothing from the 19th Century. “And look, the same lineage. It's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he’s there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion.”

“Who’s that?” Rose asked, looking at the older man.

“Death.” Clive and Seren said in unison, making Rose look at her in surprise.

Clive paused for a moment before carrying on very seriously. “If the Doctor is back, if you've seen him, Seren, then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger.” He walked around the table and put the file back in its place. “If he’s singled you out, if the Doctor is making house calls, then God help you.”

“But who is he?” Rose asked. “Who do you think he is?” Rose reached out and took Seren’ hand.

“I think he’s the same man. I think he’s immortal. I think he’s an alien from another world.”

Rose and Seren nodded and Clive saw them out of his home with a smile as they thanked him for his time.

“All right, he's a nutter. Off his head. Complete online conspiracy freak. You win.” Rose said as the god-sisters walked back to the car where Mickey was sitting in the driver’s seat. She opened the car door and waited for Seren to get into the back seat before getting in herself. “What are we going to do tonight?” she asked as she closed the door and settled in to the seat. “I fancy a pizza.”

Rose didn’t notice that her boyfriend had been replaced with a plastic version while she and Seren had been with Clive. Seren on the other hand, noticed that something was different and looked at the man with a distrusting frown.

“Pizza! P-p-p-pizza!” Plastic-Mickey said.

“Or a Chinese.” Rose added another option, looking at Seren in the rearview mirror and misinterpreting the reason for the frown.

“Pizza!” Plastic-Mickey said as he started the car and drove off in a clear weave pattern as if it was his first time driving.

At the pizza restaurant, Seren, Rose and Plastic-Mickey placed their orders and were waiting for it to arrive. Rose, busy talking about herself, still hadn’t noticed that Mickey was made of plastic, had shiny skin and a permanent grin attached to his face. Seren was keeping a distrustful eye on him, not knowing what was different about him, just that something was and it was making her hair stand on end.

“Do you think I should try the hospital?” Rose asked, wanting to get his opinion on where she should try to find another job, because her mother was right. She needed a job. “Siwan said they had jobs going in the canteen. Is that it, then - dishing out chips? I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up.” She looked at Mickey and asked with a smile, “What do you think?”

“So, where did you meet the Doctor?” the Plastic-Mickey asked instead, turning to Seren, who gave him a blank look.

“Oh, I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?” Rose asked, her smile fading and irritated that Mickey was changing the topic to something she didn’t want to talk about, and focusing on Seren instead of her.

“Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?” he asked, ignoring Rose and looking at Seren.

“No.” Seren replied quietly, fidgeting with the table’s center piece.

“Come on.” Plastic-Mickey probed, his grin becoming a smile that was meant to encourage the two women. “What was he doing there?”

“I’m not going on about it, Mickey.” Rose said as she brushed a lock of her golden hair aside. “Really, I’m not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous.”

Seren looked at her in disbelief.  _“Now you decide to believe him to be dangerous.”_  She thought to herself.

“But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe,” his voice went deeper “sugar, babe, sugar.” He gave her a smile. “You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose, Seren. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart.”

“What are you doing that for?” Rose asked, referring to the repeats of pet-names.

Plastic-Mickey looked at Seren, making her look away and over his shoulder. She saw the Doctor with a bottle of champagne in his hand, and noticing her look at him, he raised his finger to his lips in silent motion to remain quiet. Seren gave him a look of acknowledgement as he presented the bottle to Plastic-Mickey.

“Your champagne.”

“We didn’t order any champagne.” Plastic-Mickey replied, grabbing Seren’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “Where is the Doctor?”

“Let go, Mickey!” Seren whispered, not wanting to draw attention to them and tugging her hand from the deceptively powerful grip.

The Doctor turned to Seren and presented the bottle to her.

“Madam, your champagne.”

“It’s not ours...” Rose said absently. “Mickey what is it? What’s wrong?” She leaned in towards her boyfriend.

Seren gave Rose an exasperated as she tugged at her hand in a futile attempt.

“I need to find out how much he knows, so where is he?”

“Doesn’t anybody want either of this champagne?” the Doctor asked.

“Look, we didn't order it.” Plastic-Mickey said, finally looking up at the waitress and waiter, only to see that it was in fact the Doctor.

“Ah. Gotcha.” Plastic-Mickey said, making Rose look up as well while the Doctor was vigorously shaking the bottle.

“Don’t mind me.” The Doctor told the three of them, still shaking the bottle. “I’m just toasting the happy couple.” He aimed the bottle at Plastic-Mickey. “On the house!” he called out as he released the cage around the cork and sent it flying straight at a wide-eyed Plastic-Mickey.

The cork flew into Plastic-Mickey’s forehead, with Rose staring in shock as she realized that the man she was with was not her boyfriend.

“That is gross.” Seren muttered, a disgusted look on her face.

The plastic man’s face distorted for a few moments before it spit the cork out through his mouth, as a shocked Rose watched with wide eyes.

“Anyway.” Plastic-Mickey said, standing up and turning his hand into a chopper.

Rose stood up and ran to the side, screaming as the plastic man smashed their table, drawing the attention of the other patrons. The Doctor put his arms around the Auton’s head and tugged it off, the momentum sending him and the head flying into another table.

“Don’t think that’s gonna stop me.” The head said to the Doctor, making the couple sitting at the table scream in fright as the Doctor chuckled lightly in amusement.

Taking in the screaming and terrified restaurant patrons, Seren pressed the fire alarm.

“Everyone, out! Now!” Seren yelled as the alarm rang through the building. “Out! Get out! Now!”

The patrons needed no further encouragement as they ran out of the building, Rose getting pushed along as well. Seren ran as well, followed by the Doctor carrying the plastic head as the body continued to smash and flail its way around the dining area. The Doctor and Seren ran through the kitchens, yelling for the staff to get out as well as the plastic body followed the pair through the kitchen and down the corridor leading to the back exit.

Seren and the Doctor had just gotten out and closed the door when their pursuer caught up to them and banged on the closed door as the Doctor took out his screwdriver and sealed the exit shut.

“What’s that?” Seren asked, panting slightly and looking at the device in the Doctor’s hand.

 “Sonic screwdriver.” The Doctor replied calmly, putting it back in his pocket as he walked towards the blue box, still calm.

“Sonic screwdriver?” Seren repeated, following him. She let out a laugh. “Who would’ve thought that a screwdriver could be a bit more sonic?”

He walked up to the blue box, and unlocking the door, he stepped through, with Seren following as the banging continued behind them.

She came to a stop directly inside the door and looked around in wonder.

“Is it going to be able to follow us?” she asked, looking around the magnificent room that was bigger on the inside.

“The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn’t get through that door.” The Doctor said cheerfully as he examined the plastic head with his screwdriver. “Believe me, they’ve tried.” The Doctor connected a few cables to the head as Seren walked up to him. “The arm was too simple, but the head is perfect. I can use it to trace the original signal back to the original source.” He turned to Seren, who was looking around in awe, absently listening to the Doctor’s explanation. “Right. Where do you want to start?”

“The inside’s bigger than the outside.” She breathed in wonder.

“Yes.” The Doctor replied.

“It’s not magic, so it must be alien.” Seren looked at him.

“Yep.”

“And you’re an alien?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!” Seren breathed. “What is she called?” she looked around the room once more as she heard a gentle humming at the back of her mind, filling her heart with peace for the first time in 5 years.

“She’s called the TARDIS.” The Doctor replied. “T-A-R-D-I-S. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.”

Seren glanced at the head on the console and lost her look of wonder, dropping her purse on the floor.

“Did they kill him? Mickey?” She asked quietly, afraid of what the answer might be. “Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?”

“Oh. I didn’t think of that.” The Doctor said softly, frowning.

“He’s my best friend, and my god-sister’s boyfriend.” Seren retorted to the man, getting angry. “You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?”

 “Melt?” The Doctor repeated as he turned to console were the head was indeed melting, still attached to the cables.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” the Doctor exclaimed, as he ran around the console, setting the TARDIS into motion with its typical grinding noise.

 “What are you doing?” Seren asked, as the humming increased slightly, calming the furious Welshwoman down as she stayed out of the mad man’s way.

“Following the signal. It’s fading.” The Doctor said, running around the console and hitting a button before pressing a lever. He looked at the screen. “No, no, no, no, no!” he pressed a button and looked back at the screen. “Almost there. Almost there.” The Doctor said as he grabbed hold of the console as they felt the shift as the TARDIS moved locations. “Here we go!”

The TARDIS landed and the Doctor ran for the door. She followed him and saw that they weren’t in the alley behind the restaurant any longer but rather in Westminster on the north bank of the Thames, next to the RAF monument.

“I lost the signal.” The Doctor growled frustrated. “I got so close!” he began to pace.

“We’ve moved.” Seren commented in wonder, looking back at the unassuming box momentarily before turning back to face the two aliens. “Does it fly?”

“Disappears there and reappears here.” The Doctor replied, resting his arms against the wall of the bridge. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Look, I’m not an idiot, you pompous arse!” Seren snapped at him angrily, getting fed up with his attitude. “I’ll have to tell Rose.” Her voice became soft, making him look at her in confusion. “Mickey.” she explained. “I'll have to tell his girlfriend that he's dead, and you just went and forgot him, again! I can’t believe I stood up for you to her.”

“Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey-” he began.

“He’s not a kid.” Seren interrupted.

“It's because I am trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, all right?” he continued on as if he wasn’t interrupted, now close to yelling.

“All right!” Seren yelled back.

“Yes, it is!” he crossed his arms.

“Why do you sound like you're from the North?” Seren asked him, calming down.

“Lots of planets have a North.” The Doctor replied defensively.

“And I’m guessing the public police call box is a sort of disguise because you would want to blend in, but why a telephone box from the 1950’s?” Seren asked, her head cocked to the side as the humming continued at the back of her mind.

The Doctor looked at her in pleasant surprise.

“You really aren’t an idiotic ape.” He said.

“Thank you.” Seren replied sarcastically.

“Asking the right questions.” He chuckled lightly. “The Chameleon Circuit broke when I landed in the 1950’s not long after I began travelling.”

“Okay.” She turned serious. “And this living plastic, what’s it got against us?”

“Nothing.” He replied “It loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air, perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. Its food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth, dinner!”

“Anyway of stopping it?”

The Doctor pulled a vial of blue liquid out of his pocket with his freed hand and held it up.

“Anti-plastic.” He said gleefully.

“Anti-plastic?” Seren repeated in disbelief.

“Anti-plastic.” The Doctor confirmed with a smile. “But first I’ve got to find it.” He lost his gleeful look as he began pacing. “How can you hide something that big in a city this small?”

“Hide what?” Seren asked confused, watching him pace.

“The transmitter.” The Doctor stopped pacing and looked at her. “The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal.”

“What’s it look like?”

“Like a transmitter.” The Doctor replied. “Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London.” He walked to the other side of the bridge, and turned to look at her. “A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible.” Seren looked at the London Eye looming behind the oblivious man. She looks behind him at the massive landmark and back at the oblivious man, “What?” she gestured to the structure behind him. He glanced back, but didn’t see what she meant. “What?” she gestured again, but he still doesn’t get it. “What is it?” Finally Seren rolled her eyes and pointed at the Eye, making him turn and properly look at what she was pointing to. “Oh.” He looked back at the beautiful woman as a large smile spread across their faces. “Fantastic.”

He began running with Seren following half a heartbeat later. They ran across the Westminster Bridge, the Doctor taking Seren’s hand, and down the stairs, coming to a stop right in front of the large landmark.

“Think of it – plastic all over the world.” The Doctor told Seren letting go of her hand as she caught her breath. “Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables.”

“Breast implants.” Seren added.

“Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath.” The Doctor said, looking around.

Seren looked over the side of the bridge to the maintenance shaft.

“What about down here?” She asked, drawing his attention.

“Looks good to me.” The Doctor said with a maniacal grin.

They ran down the stairs to the closed shaft. The Doctor knelt and opened the hatch, letting steam billow out for a moment before he began climbing down the short ladder. Seren followed close behind him. They glanced around the brick-built area, filled with chains before heading through the only door they could see. Going through, they went down a flight of steps, into a multi-level chamber.

On the lower-most level, there was a large vat with a glowing fire-orange substance moving around inside.

“The Nestene Consciousness.” The Doctor said to Seren as they came to a stop on the mezzanine and looked down. “That’s it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature.”

“You’re not here to just kill it, are you?” Seren asked.

“Nope.” The Doctor agreed. “I’ve got to give it a chance.”

Seren nodded in understanding as the two of them went down another short flight of stairs and came to a stop on the mezzanine directly in sight of the vat. The alien stood against the railing as Seren stood back and out of sight.

“I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation.”

Inside the vat, the plastic flexes with a growling sound in response.

“Thank you.” The Doctor smiled slightly. “If I might have permission to approach?”

Seren looked around and saw Mickey huddled up in a corner as the plastic flexes once again with a growl.

“Oh, God!” She exclaimed, running down the steps to Mickey as the Doctor shook his head in exasperation. “Mickey, it’s me.” she cried out, rushing towards the bound young man. “It’s okay.” She reached him as Mickey put a finger to his lips to get her to not make noise.

“That thing down there, the liquid.” Mickey whimpered, clutching the woman’s arm in fear. “Seren, it can talk!”

“Oh Gods, you’re stinking.” Seren gasped, turning to the Doctor. “Doctor, they kept him alive!” she frowned, “Why?”

“Yeah, that was always a possibility.” The Doctor said offhandedly, turning the corner of another flight of stairs, pausing at the top stair as he continued, “keep him alive to maintain the copy.”

“You knew and you never said?” Seren asked angrily.

“Can we keep the domestics outside, please? Thank you.” The Doctor snapped before going down the stairs and coming to a stop directly above the vat.

“Am I addressing the Consciousness?” there was a growl as a large blob reached out from the vat. “Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp-shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?"

The Doctor smirked as the Consciousness growled and a face formed in the blob.

“Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple.” At the continued growling, he snapped, “Don’t talk about constitutional rights.” There was a series of loud growls as the plastic blob got bigger and moved from side to side. “Oy! I am talking!’ The Doctor yelled back as the Consciousness stopped growling. “This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go.”

A pair of shop mannequins came up behind the pair, unseen by them as the Doctor pleaded on Earth’s behalf.

“Doctor!” Seren called out in warning, making him look up at her, but it was too late as the Autons’ grabbed hold of him.

He struggled against his two captors, but ultimately, the grip on him was too strong. One of the Autons reached into the Doctor’s pocket and removed the vial of anti-plastic and held it up.

“That was just insurance! I wasn’t gonna use it.” The Doctor cried out in explanation as the Consciousness growled. “I’m not attacking you.” He protested. “I’m here to help. I’m not your enemy. I swear, I’m not…” The Consciousness growled and shrieked. “What do you mean?” he asked as a door opened above them. They turned to look and saw the TARDIS. “No! Honestly, no!”

Seren frowned when she noticed that the humming had stopped when they entered the maintenance shaft. “ _Is the humming coming from the TARDIS?_ ” she wondered silently.

There was a growl from the vat.

“Yes, that’s my ship.” The Doctor admitted. There was a series of growls and shrieks as he looked between the Consciousness in the vat and the TARDIS. “That’s not true.” His voice filled with pain. “I should know. I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn’t my fault!” There was a growl from the Consciousness. “I couldn’t save your world! I couldn’t save any of them!”

The Consciousness let out a roar.

“What’s it doing?” Seren yelled down to the Doctor, seeing the plastic blob sway from side to side as it continued to roar.

“It’s the TARDIS!” The Doctor yelled back desperately in explanation. “The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Seren! Just leg it now!”

As the Consciousness continued to roar, she took out her phone and dialed.

“Aunt Jackie?” Seren called into the phone when the line connected.

 _“Oh, there you are. I was just going to phone. You can get compensation. I said so. I've got this document thing off the police. Don't thank me.”_  Jackie said on the other end, unaware of the danger her god-daughter was in.

“Where are you, Aunt Jackie?”

_“I'm in town.”_

“No, go home!” Seren ordered. “Please, just go home right now!”

_“Darling, you're breaking up. Listen, I'm just going to do a bit of late night shopping. I'll see you later. Ta-ra!”_

“Aunt Jackie? Aunt Jackie!” Seren called, but didn’t get a reply as Jackie had hung up. With a frustrated growl, she dialed another number and impatiently waited for a reply. “Siwan!” she cried out in relief when the line connected. “Where are you?”

 _“I’m at work.”_  Siwan replied, handing her boss another document that needed to be signed.  _“Why? What’s wrong?”_

“How long are you working?”

_“I’m here all night. Seren what’s going on? You sound absolutely terrified.”_

“It’s nothing.” Seren replied, taking a deep breath. “I just wanted to know where you were.”

_“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”_

“I love you too.”

The two sisters hung up as the roaring Consciousness sent energy bolts flying around, one hitting the ceiling, causing a small explosion.

“It’s the activation signal. It’s transmitting!” The Doctor cried out in despair, as he struggled against his captors.

“It’s the end of the world.” Seren breathed, terror in every syllable as Mickey let out a frightened whimper.

The Consciousness let out a roar, getting increasingly agitated.

“Get out, Seren!” The Doctor yelled to the brave brunette, struggling against his captors. “Just get out! Run!”

“The stairs have gone!” Seren yelled back in terror, even as adrenaline pumped through her.

Seren and Mickey ran to the TARDIS as the Autons tried to push the Doctor into the vat.

“We haven’t got the key!” Seren moaned as she banged on the TARDIS door.

“We’re going to die!” Mickey whimpered, clutching Seren’s arm.

The two humans crouched next to the TARDIS, Mickey visibly terrified as Seren looked around for other possibilities, still holding a trembling Mickey close. The Doctor struggled against the Autons that were trying to toss him in to the vat filled with the roaring plastic.

“Time Lord!” The Nestene growled in a low roar.

The Doctor struggled as Seren slowly stood up, Mickey now clinging to her leg.

“Just leave him!” Mickey cried to her. Seren ignored him and looked at the struggling man, who looked back at her. “There’s nothing you can do!” Mickey cried out as Seren ran around the chamber.

“I’ve got my A-levels, but no longer have a job to show for it. A sister to support while she studies in University and works full time. No chance of achieving a dream I had worked so hard for.” She growled, lifting an axe and swinging it at a rope that was holding a very long chain to the wall. “But I tell you what I have got... Pan-Olympic Gymnastics Team.” When the chain got lose, she took a firm hold of it, wrapping it around her arm to increase her hold. “And what’s more, I got the gold.”

With a grunt, she ran off the ledge and gracefully swung across the vat. The Doctor shifted slightly so that Seren would swing by the Autons, making them loosen their grip just enough for him to get loose. The Doctor tossed the ones holding him over his shoulder directly into the vat. Seren elegantly swung alongside the cat-walk and kicked the two remaining Autons, one holding the vial, into the vat. As soon as the vial hits the golden Nestene, it screams as it turns blue.

Seren swung back, and let go, landing on the ledge with a graceful pose. The Doctor looked at her in amazement before turning to the screaming Nestene.

“Now were in trouble!” he commented as the two of them ran up towards the TARDIS as a series of explosions rocked the ceiling as the signal stopped transmitting.

Mickey was still crouched next to the TARDIS, holding onto it for dear life as the Doctor took out his key and opened the door. Mickey scrambled in, followed by the Doctor and Seren. As more explosions rocked the chamber, the Doctor piloted the TARDIS and her two human passengers to an Embankment by a row of shuttered kiosks.

As soon as they land, Mickey ran out, terrified and crouched behind a pallet as if attempting to hide behind it. Walking our behind Mickey, Seren took out her phone and dialed her god-mother, who was the one most likely to have encountered the Autons.

 _“Seren! Seren, don’t go out of the house! It’s not safe!”_  Jackie faintly breathed into the phone as soon as she answered, causing Seren to hold back a laugh.  _“There were these things, and they were shooting! And they…-”_

She ended the call and went to Mickey, who looked like he might pass out from shock at any minute.

“Fat lot of good you were!” Seren told him with a slight laugh as he whimpered in response, pointing towards the TARDIS and unable to form a coherent word.

Seren looked to the TARDIS were the Doctor was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed nonchalantly.

“Nestene Consciousness? Easy!” The Doctor said, snapping his fingers.

“You were useless in there. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me.” Seren reminded him.

“Yes, I would.” The Doctor agreed. “Thank you.”

There was humming at the back of her mind, making her smile.

“Right, then, I’ll be off…” The Doctor said as he turned to head inside. “Unless… I don’t know…” he shrugged awkwardly. “You could come with me.” The two of them looked at each other. “This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge.”

“Don’t.” Mickey pleaded with her, seeing the excitement in Seren’s eyes as well as the smile on her face as she listened to the Doctor’s words. “He’s an alien. He’s a thing!”

“He’s not invited.” The Doctor added, nodding his head to a trembling Mickey before looking at her. “What do you think?” Seren let out a breath as the Doctor continued. “You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere.”

“Is it always this dangerous?” She asked finally.

“Yes.” the Doctor said, nodding excitedly.

Mickey scrambled to his knees and hugged Seren’s waist, looking back at the alien. She removed his arms and walked towards the Doctor.

“No, Seren.” Mickey pleaded to her back. “You can’t go with him. Please don’t. You’re my best mate. What about Siwan, and Rose and Jackie?”

“One moment, please.” Seren said to the Doctor, turning back to a trembling Mickey.

She pulled the taller man into a tight hug before letting go. “Oh, Mickey. I need to go with him, it feels right.” She cupped his face in her tiny hands, wiping the tears that fell from his dark eyes. “Remember those stories Siwan and I grew up with? The ones I had told you?” he nodded. “This is my chance to see them for real. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to tell you some new stories when we return.” She reached up on her tip-toes and gave him a gentle Eskimo-kiss, rubbing her nose against his. “You are always by my side, no matter where I am. But right now, I need you to be strong for me, and look after Siwan, Rose and Aunt Jackie. Can you do that for me?”

He nodded tearfully and gave her a tight hug before letting go.

Seren turned, and with a bright smile, ran towards the TARDIS’ open doors as Mickey looked on in resignation.

_ Links: _

_*Seren 1 st _ _outfit -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879475981944/>_

 


	3. The End of the World

**The End of the World**

Seren ran into the TARDIS and came to a stop at the console.

“Right then, Seren Jones, you tell me, where d’you want to go?” The Doctor began, leaning nonchalantly against the console and tossing a small orb in his hand and watching her. “Backwards or forwards in time? It’s your choice. What’s it going to be?”

Seren shrugged and said, “Forwards.”

The Doctor put the orb on the console, pressed a button and switched a flip before turning to the girl.

“How far?” he asked.

“100 years.” she suggested, picking a random number.

The Doctor turned a few controls as the TARDIS began its journey through the Vortex, with the Doctor and Seren clutching the console. A few seconds later, the TARDIS stopped and the released their grips on their supports.

“There you go.” The Doctor said, pointing towards the doors. “Step outside those doors, it’s the 22nd century.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“That’s a bit boring though.” he commented. “Do you want to go further?”

“Fine by me.” Seren replied excitedly with a grin.

The Doctor fiddled with the controls once more, and once again, they held on as the ship traveled through the Vortex. Seren had a wide smile on her face as she watched the green lit time rotor above the console as the Doctor smiled at her reaction.

The TARDIS came to a stop and the Doctor looked at Seren.

“10 000 years in the future.” He said. “Step outside, it’s the year 12005, the new Roman Empire.”

“You think you’re so impressive.” Seren teased him.

“I am so impressive!” The Doctor said defensively, though he had a smile on his face.

“You wish.” Seren replied with a grin.

“Right then, you asked for it.” The Doctor said with a large smile on his face. “I know exactly where to go.” He turned to the console and started the engines again, pressing buttons and levers, as Rose watched with a large smile on her face. “Hold on!”

They held tight as the TARDIS flew through the Vortex, taking them to their plotted destination. The Doctor was still working with the controls, a large grin on his face. Finally, the Doctor shut the engines off as they felt the TARDIS land.

“Where are we?” Seren asked cautiously, only for the Doctor to gesture to the door with one arm.

“What’s out there?” she asked excitedly, glancing back at the door for a moment before turning back to him.

When the Doctor just gestured once more towards the door, she slowly walked out of the TARDIS and entered a large, futuristic style room made of a material similar to marble. The young woman went down the set of steps that were there leading to a large wall that was covered by shutters. The Doctor came out a moment later and used his sonic screwdriver on a panel behind them, lowering the large shutters, revealing a window with a view of the Earth in all its glory. The Doctor joined the beautiful woman, coming to stand beside her.

“You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying… like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/ Apple/ 26. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day” he looks at his watch with a frown “Hold on.” He looks out the window, Seren following his gaze as they see the sun rise behind the Earth, obscuring their sight as it momentarily flares before turning red. “This is the day the Sun expands.” He turns to Seren. “Welcome to the end of the world.”

Seren looked at him in surprise before turning back to look outside the window.

 _“Shuttles five and six now docking.”_ Came a computerized as the trio walked along a corridor.  _“Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite.”_

“So, when it says ‘guests’, I’m guessing they mean aliens?” Seren asked curiously, looping her arm though his, as they turned a corner.

“Yep. Very good Seren.” The Doctor said excitedly, glancing at her as they turned another corner.

“What are they doing on board this spaceship?” Seren asked curiously. “What’s it all for?”

“It’s more of an observation deck.” The Doctor replied absently, taking out his screwdriver and scan the panel. “The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn.”

“And it would be for fun?” Seren asked in confirmation.

“Yup.” He replied, entering through the no open door.

“And when you say the great and the good, you mean the rich?” she asked, following him inside gallery, a large area with a few display cases as well as a view of Space from a glass window stretching from the ground up and across the ceiling.

“You’re good.” He complimented her with a grin, placing a gentle hand on the small of her back as he led her towards the windows.

“The Sun expanding is supposed to take hundreds of years.” She said as she gazed out onto the planet below.

“Millions.” The Doctor corrected her as they came to a stop in front of the window and gazed out to Earth and the Sun. “But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?” He pointed to several object orbiting the Sun. “Gravity satellites holding back the Sun.”

“The planet looks the same as ever.” She said, confusion coloring her voice. “The continents were supposed to shift.” She looked at the alien. “Especially since you said it’s the year 5 billion.”

“They did, and the Trust shifted them back.” The Doctor informed her. He pointed to the planet below. “That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over.”

“How long’s it got?” Seren asked curiously.

The Doctor looked at his watch before answering, “About half an hour. Then the planet gets roasted.” He looked at her with a wide grin.

“We’re not here to save it this time, are we?” Seren asked him softly.

“No. Times up.”

“The people? They’ve left?”

“Yes. They’ve all gone.” The Doctor said. “No one left.”

“Just me, then.” Seren sighed, gazing back out of the window.

“Who the hell are you?” came a voice behind them, causing them to turn around. The man had blue skin and gold slit eyes, wearing long robes made of a stiff fabric.

“Oh, that’s nice. Thanks.” The Doctor said sarcastically.

“But how did you get in?” The man asked them, coming to a stop in front of them. “This is a maximum Hospitality Zone. The guests have disembarked. They’re on their way any second.”

“That’s us, we’re guests. I’ve got an invitation.” He took out a billfold and flipped it open. “Look.” The man glanced at the paper before looking back at the two of them. “There, you see? It’s fine. The Doctor plus one. I’m the Doctor” he gestured to himself “and this is Seren Jones.” He gestured to Seren, who smiled nervously “She’s my plus one. Is that alright?”

“Well…obviously.” The steward said stiffly, nodding his head slightly. “Apologies, etc.” The Doctor nodded in acceptance. “If you’re on board, we’d better start. Enjoy.”

He turned and walked to a lecturn as the Doctor turned to Rose, holding the bill-fold and revealing the blank paper.

“The paper’s slightly psychic.” He explained. “It shows them what I want them to see. Saves a lot of time.”

Seren took the bill-fold and looked at it for a moment before looking up at the taller man.

“It’s blank.” She told him bluntly, unimpressed.

“It just means you’re too smart to be fooled by it.” He had a slightly impressed tone to his voice.

“Thanks.” She smiled up at him with a slight blush on her face before they turned to the blue man speaking into a microphone.

“We have in attendance, the Doctor and Seren Jones. Thank you. All staff to their positions.” The man clapped three times and several small blue people, dressed completely in black, scuttling about the room. “Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along.” As soon as they were in their positions, he continued, “And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa.”

Through the doors came a bark-skinned woman, walking in a purposeful stride, followed by two larger male escorts. She was dressed in a floor length red and gold dress while her companions were dressed in black robes, with armored chest and shoulder plates.

“There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace.” The Steward said. “If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon.”

In came another blue being, this one mostly a head and a body, sitting on a transport pod.

“Next, we have Pharaoh Djet and Queen Merneith of the New Egyptian Empire, as well as the future Prince or Princess.”

In came a beautiful male and female couple, the woman had one hand resting gently on her husband’s arm and the other resting on her stomach, round with child. The man, muscled, lean and standing tall at 6”4, was dressed in a gold and blue pleated Egyptian kilt, a gold toned shoulder cape held by a wide jewel stoned neck-piece, a gold crown on his head, with gold armbands on each wrist encrusted with orange and blue jewels and was bare-chested beneath the neckpiece, with his multi-colored eyes and waterline outlined in thick black kohl with an Egyptian glyph directly beneath each eye. His long hair fell over his cape, reaching his elbows in thick ink-black locks. His wife, standing at 5”1 and radiating with the glow of motherhood and pregnancy, was wearing a floor-length blue and gold Egyptian halter dress made of a floaty material, the bottom half of her face hidden by a matching blue veil embroidered with gold that hung over the back of her ears and hung down to her shoulder blades with gold 6” knee-high sandals. Her long raven-blue hair was unbound, reaching the back on her knees held back only by her gold crown encrusted with blue jewels, the only jewelry she wore. Her large doe-shaped sapphire eyes were framed by gold, black and blue makeup, giving the large orbs an exotic look.

“And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.” The Steward said.

A group of black robed bi-peds entered the gallery.

The steward continued with the introductions, the inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen; Cal Spark Plug; Mister and Mrs. Pakoo; The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light.

The trio of Tree People came over to where the Doctor and Seren were standing.

“The gift of peace.” Jabe said. “I bring you a cutting of my grandfather.” She held a rooted twig in a small pot out to the Doctor.

“Thank you.” He took the small pot with reverence and handed it to Seren. “Yes. Gifts. Erm…” he patted his front and cleared his throat. “I give you in return…air from my lungs.”

He gently breathed on Jabe, who closed her eyes momentarily before opening them and looking up at the Time Lord.

“How…intimate.” Jabe breathed, running her eyes over him.

“There’s more where that came from.” The Doctor chuckled as Seren rolled her eyes and face palmed.

“I bet there is.” Jabe flirted for a moment before walking away, followed by the two males.

“From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe.” The Steward said, bringing their attention to the doors.

A large cylindrical tank containing an equally large humanoid head with straggly hair and squinting eyes came through the doors.

“The Moxx of Balhoon.” The Doctor said with a smile as the blue being floated over to them on his transport pod.

“My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily salivas.” The alien said to them in a high voice, before spitting accurately into Seren’s eye.

The Doctor looked at a disgusted Seren as she cleaned her face before turning back to Moxx.

“Thank you very much.” He said to the smaller alien with a chuckle.

“Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme.” The Doctor exclaimed as the black-robed figures glided up to them. “I bring you air from my lungs.” The Doctor breathed on them.

The figure in the front held out a large metal hand carrying a ball.

“A gift of peace in all good faith.” The figure said as the Doctor took the ball and handed to Seren.

The Steward began speaking, turning everyone’s attention back to him.

“And last, but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms… consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human.” The Doctor glanced at Seren who was staring at the Steward in wonder. “The Lady Cassandra O'Brien. Delta Seventeen.”

The doors opened, and two men dressed in top-to-toe hospital whites wheeled in a face in a piece of thin skin stretched in a rectangular frame.

“Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference.” Seren had a completely shocked look on her face as the Doctor held back his chuckles. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Pharaoh and Queen also holding back their chuckles as well. “Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty.” Her attendants moved to stand on either side of her. “I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me.” One of the attendants used a pump spray on the skin. “Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye.” As Cassandra spoke, Seren walked behind her to see just how thin she is. “Oh, no tears, no tears.” At the tears that filled the skin-sheet’s eyes, one of the attendants took out a handkerchief and gently wiped them away. “I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg.” One of the space stations’ little attendants entered the gallery with a large egg in his hands that he held out for the guests to view. There were murmurs through the gathered guests as Cassandra went on to explain the legend behind the ostriches. “Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband?” there was a spattering of chuckles. “Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity.” Two more little attendants wheeled in a jukebox. “According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!” the attendant pressed a button on the jukebox, which everyone believed was an IPod, and the strains of Tainted Love by Soft Cell ring out through the room.

“Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes.” The Steward informs them all and the guests begin mingling with each other.

Seren looked around at all the aliens in the room, mingling with each other and talking, starting to become overwhelmed by all the strangeness. Beginning to feel overwhelmed, she ran out of the room. The Doctor, having seen the brunette run out, moved to follow her, but was intercepted by Jabe.

“Doctor?” he turned to look at Jabe who held up a device which emitted a flash. “Thank you.” She said to him, getting what she wanted.

They nodded to each other the Doctor left the room and went after Seren as Jabe looked at the device in her hands.

Seren walked down a corridor and stopped at a window, looking out. She let out a sigh as she gazed at her home and the raging Sun behind it. “ _I’m alone here. Is this what it means? To be a-_ ”

Before she could finish her train of thought, she spotted a female staff member walk around the other corner and come to a stop in the middle of the corridor when she spotted the guest.

“I’m sorry. Am I allowed to be in here?” Seren asked the other female.

The female glanced away uneasily before looking back at Seren.

“You have to give us permission to talk.” The blue-skinned female said, looking at Seren expectantly.

“Um, you… have… permission.” Seren said slowly.

“Thank you, miss.” The female said, giving a pretty smile. “And no, you’re not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere.” She went to a wall panel and entered a code.

“Okay.” Seren replied slowly, coming to lean against the pillar that was next to the staff member. “What’s your name?”

“Raffalo.”

“Raffalo?” Seren repeated slowly to get the proper pronunciation.

“That’s right, miss.” Raffalo smiled at her. “I won’t be long. Just have to carry out some maintenance.” She gestured towards a vent just above the floor as she crouched down beside it. “There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Bo suite. There must be something blocking the system – he's not getting any hot water.”

“So, you’re a plumber?” Seren asked her.

“That’s right, miss.” Raffalo smiled at her.

“They still have plumbers?” Seren asked in slight surprise as Raffalo looked at her.

“I hope so, miss. Else I’m out of a job.” Raffalo said with slight amusement.

Seren let out a laugh at the reply.

“Where are you from?” she asked the blue-skinned female interestedly.

“Crespallion.”

“Is that a planet?”

“No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty-six.” She stood up once again and looked at Seren. “And where are you from, miss?” she seemed to remember herself and added, “If you don't mind me asking.”

“Oh, not at all.” Seren replied gently as she sighed. “Um… I don't know. A long way away. I sort of hitched a lift with this man. I didn't even think about it.” As she spoke, she got lost in her thoughts, wondering how Siwan was and Rose, Aunt Jackie and Mickey. “I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger.” She shook her head and turned to Raffalo. “Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck!”

 “Thank you, miss.” Raffalo said to Seren as she turned around. “And thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate.”

“You’re welcome.” Seren replied with a slightly shaky smile. “See you later.” She waved at the alien and walked out of the corridor, soon finding herself in Gallery 15. She sat on one side of the steps, her bare legs hanging over the edge.

_“Earth Death in twenty-five minutes. Earth Death in twenty-five minutes.”_

“Thanks.” Seren muttered to herself as she heard the automated reminder, tossing the ball in the air and then catching it. She put the ball on the side and picked up the cutting of Jabe’s grandfather.

“Hello!” she said to the cutting. “My name's Seren. My middle name is Rhosyn, which is Welsh for Rose. That's a sort of plant, so we might be related.” Seren let out a laugh. “I'm talking to a twig.” She giggled to herself as she put the plant down beside her and leaned back slightly.

“Seren?” she heard the Doctor’s voice through the door. “Are you in there?”

“Yeah, I’m in here.”

“Aye, aye. What do you think, then?” the Doctor asked gently as he walked into the room and sat on the other side of the steps. The Doctor leaned back as he faced the young human.

“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing… once you get past the walking, talking skin-sheet.” Seren replied as the Doctor chuckled. She sighed and continued, “It just makes me realize how alone I am.” She looked at him for a moment before turning to look out of the observation window. “Do you know who the Chosen Ones are?” He nodded. “Siwan and I, we are both Chosen Ones. It’s never happened twice in one generation.” A tear slipped down her cheek and fell onto her lap. “It’s the only reason we survived the accident.” She snorted. “To be honest, I had died that night.” She looked at him, tears in her eyes as she remembered. “I was dead for several minutes, and the doctors were ready to call it when I was revived. Only Siwan and I know that, well us and the doctors. No one else knows, not our older sister Rhiannon, not Rose, Aunt Jackie, no one. Everyone believed that it was similar to when someone is resuscitated after they die.” She looked back out the window. “Seeing all the aliens just reminded me of how alone I am.”

“What happened, Seren?” he asked softly, looking at the beautiful young woman.

“There was a car accident.” She replied, wiping the tears that fell from her large eyes. “My parents and I died with my sister being fatally wounded, but because Siwan and I are Chosen Ones, the two of us survived.”

“That’s why you seemed to take everything in stride.” He commented. “Most people would freak out at least a little, but you were completely calm and collected.”

“I grew up in Cardiff, Doctor.” Seren replied with a wry smile as she hopped off the ledge and went to stand in front of the window. “There are enough strange things that occur that you just brush it off as a part of life. Besides, my sisters and I grew up with stories of the impossible, so we’ve always believed in it.” She turned her back to him slightly and lifted up the back of her blouse, showing him the small silver design that was directly above her waistline. “This is my Mark, symbolizing me as one of the Chosen Ones of the Mara.” She lowered her blouse and turned back to him. “I can’t die, Doctor. I had made my choice that night. I knew my parents were dead, but Siwan was injured and that she would still have the choice before her. I couldn’t leave her alone. Rhiannon had a husband and a child, no matter how much she would want to, she wouldn’t be able to support Siwan as well as raise her family. Now, I have to watch everyone die, while I stay the same. You know how that feels, don’t you?”

The Doctor nodded in response. “You have your sister.” He reminded her as he joined her by the window. “Does she know that you had made your choice?”

“Yes, she figured it out when she was told that I had died that night but was resuscitated.” Seren gave a snort. “That sister of mine knows everything. Well, almost everything. I say almost because she has no idea that her boss is in love with her.” Seren let out a laugh as she remembered all the times she had seen the two of them together and Siwan was completely clueless to the way Adam would look at her. “She has been my rock all our lives.” She looked at the alien. “You know, we’re exactly one year apart, both of us were born on August 18. Me in 1982 and her in 1983. Everyone we knew would call us twins, and those that don’t know us honestly would think that we were twins.”

“I noticed the two of you are identical.” He said. “I had actually thought you two were twins, until now.”

She laughed, the light sound reverberating through the Gallery as he laughed as well.

“Where are you from?” Seren asked him after they stopped laughing.

“Oh, all over the place.” The Doctor replied vaguely.

“They all speak English. Why?”

“No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. The telepathic field gets inside your brain and translates.”

“And the humming? Is that the TARDIS as well?”

“Humming?” he looked at her surprised.

“Yes, I began to hear the humming just as you were explaining about the TARDIS. To be honest, it was the first time since my parents died that I felt at peace.”

His look of surprise turned to one of shock as he stared at her.

“That never happened so fast.” He muttered, before speaking up. “Yes, it is the TARDIS. She can talk, but she rarely does to any of my Companions.”

“So, I am special, is that it?” Seren teased him with a smile.

“Oh, there’s no doubt about that.” He replied, teasing her right back as she stared at him with a gob-smacked expression.

“Jerk.” She muttered, hitting him slightly on the shoulder, making him laugh. “But really though, who are you, then, Doctor? What is your planet called?”

He stopped laughing and turned away slightly.

“I’m just the Doctor.” he replied back defensively as she frowned at him.

“From what planet?”

“It’s not as if you would know where it is!” he retorted.

“Doctor, where are you from?” Seren pressed, her frown deepening.

“What does it matter?!” the Doctor asked angrily, turning back to the window, looking out into space.

“Tell me who you are!”

“This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!” he said angrily as he remembered the past.

_“Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes.”_

“All right.” Seren said as she took a deep breath and calmed down, turning to him. “As Rose’s mate Shareen says, ‘don't argue with the designated driver’.” She took her mobile out of her pocket and held it up as she commented ponderingly, “Can’t exactly call for a taxi. There’s no signal. We’re out of range, just a bit.”

“Tell you what,” the Doctor said, taking the phone from her and pulling the back cover off, “With a little jiggery pokery…”

“Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?” Seren asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?” he replied as he put a small device into the back of the mobile.

“No, I failed hullabaloo.” She replied shaking her head.

“Oh. There you go.” The Doctor said, putting the phone back together and handed it to her.

Seren took it gingerly and turned it on, a surprised look crossing her face when she received a signal. She dialed home and waited for someone to pick up the line, hearing it ring.

 _“Hello?”_ came the voice on the other end.

“Aunt Jackie?” Seren asked, looking at the Doctor in surprise as he watched her with amusement.

 _“Oh, what is it? What’s wrong?”_ Jackie was emptying the washing machine at the flat in 2005.  _“Oh, this red top’s falling to bits. You should get your money back. Go on, tell me, do you want to talk to Siwan? She’s in her room getting dressed for her dinner tonight with Dr. Pearson.”_

Seren let out a delighted laugh.

_“What’s so funny?”_

“Nothing. It’s nothing. Can you give the phone to Siwan, please?”

_“Yeah, hold on.”_

“You all right, though Aunt Jackie?”

_“Yeah. Oh, I tell you what, put a quid in that Lottery syndicate. I'll pay you back later.”_

“Yeah.”

_“Here’s your sister.”_

_“Hello, Seren?”_

“Hey, Siwan?”

 _“Yeah.”_  Seren could hear the smile in her voice.  _“I’m just getting dressed for the dinner tonight. You sure I should wear my black dress?”_

“Yes.” She replied with a smile. “You look absolutely stunning in it. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”

_“You do realize that it isn’t a date, right?”_

“Yeah, I know.” An amused smirk crossed Seren’s face as she listened to her sister.

_“Is everything alright with you? Is something wrong? You don’t usually phone in the middle of the day.”_

“No, I’m fine. I’m on top of the world.” Seren gave a small laugh.

_“Okay. I love you.”_

“I love you.” Seren hung up the phone and turned to the Doctor.

 “Think that's amazing, wait until you see the bill.” he told her, taking in the amazed and pondering look one her face.

“That was five billion years ago. So, Aunt Jackie's dead now. Five billion years later, my god-mother and my god-sister are dead and possibly my sister as well if she chooses mortality.” Seren said slowly, processing her thoughts. She shook her head. “When I was told what being a Chosen One meant, how I would live while everyone else died, and my sister would have to make the same choice, they definitely forgot to mention Mad Men and their Bigger on the Inside Blue Boxes.”

“Bundle of laughs, you are.” The Doctor muttered sarcastically.

Before Seren could say anything back, the space station shook, causing them to stumble slightly.

“That isn’t supposed to happen.” the Doctor said.

“ _Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence. Thanking you._ ” The Stewards’ voice came from the intercom.

Hearing the reassuring words from the Steward, Seren and the Doctor exchanged looks before running out Gallery 15 and back to the Observation Gallery where the party was being held.

“Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multiverse…” Moxx was saying to the Face of Boe as the two of them entered.

“That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that.” The Doctor said looking at the wall panel. They turned slightly as Jabe walked over to them. “What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines.” he cocked his head to the side. “They’ve pitched up about 30 Hertz. Is that strange, or what?”

“It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me.” Jabe replied shrugging slightly, making the Doctor smile.

“Where’s the engine room?” The Doctor asked her.

“I don’t know.” Jabe replied before adding, “But the maintenance duct is behind our guest suite. I could show you… and your wife.” She gestured to the two women.

“She’s not my wife.” the Doctor said.

“Partner?”

“No.”

“Concubine?”

“No.”

“Prostitute?”

“Whatever I am, it must be invisible! Do you mind?” Seren finally snapped at Jabe. “Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. I’m going to catch up with the family. Have a quick word with Michael Jackson.” She gestured to where Cassandra was.

“Don’t start a fight, Seren.” The Doctor warned her before offering his arm to Jabe. “I’m all yours.”

Seren watched as Jabe took the offered arm and they walked out of the gallery.

“And I want you home by midnight!” Seren called out jokingly, making the Doctor look back and wave at her with a smile.

 _“Earth death in 15 minutes. Earth death in 15 minutes.”_  The computer informed the guests.

Seren walked over to Cassandra who gazing out of the window.

“Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there.” Seren had a ‘what the?’ look on her face. “Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I'd have such fun.” She trailed off with a sigh.

“What happened to everyone else? The human race, where did they go?” Seren asked her.

“They say Mankind has touched every star in the sky.” Cassandra replied theatrically.

“So you’re not the last human, but the last  _pure_  human.” Seren pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“Indeed. The others…mingled.” She spoke in a disgusted tone. “Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even Humanish, but you know what I call them?” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Mongrels.”

“Right, and you stayed behind.” Seren sneered at her.

“I kept myself pure.” She sneered back in response.

“How many operations have you had?”

“708. Next week, it's 709. I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Seren. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out.”

“I’d rather die.” Seren replied. “ _If only it were possible._ ” She thought to herself.

“Honestly, it doesn’t hurt-”

“No, I mean it. I would rather die. It's better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline.”

“Oh, well. What do you know?” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I was born on that planet,” Seren pointed out of the window to the Earth below. “So was my mum, my dad and my sisters, and that makes me officially the last human being in this room, 'cos you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened until there was nothing left. Anything human was chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking.”

Seren walked away, wandering towards where the Face of Boe was by one wall with the Pharaoh and the Queen, the pregnant woman sitting on a chair with one hand on her large bump.

Seren stood by them in silence, absently noticing that the Pharaoh and the Queen seemed to be holding back their chuckles, at least from what could be seen with her veil covering the bottom half of her face.

She looked around briefly when she heard laughter echo through her mind.

“What in the world?” she breathed as her eyes fell on the Face of Boe, who was looking at her with amusement shining in his large squinting eyes. She knelt down in front of him. “Is that laughter you?”

“Star-Flower.” Came the telepathic voice as the large head nodded.

“Why did you call me that?” she asked with a frown.

“Your name, my Star-Flower.” Came the simple and vague response.

“But how did you know what my middle name is?” Seren asked in surprise. “This is the first time I’ve met you.”

“That is true for you Seren,” The Queen, so familiar yet a complete stranger, spoke up in an accent so similar to Seren’s own Welsh one. “But for the three of us,” she gestured to herself, her husband and the Face of Boe. “Well, we have honestly lost count.” She winced, shifting slightly in her seat.

“Everything all right?” Seren asked her.

“Yes, false contractions.”

“How far along are you?” Seren asked curiously as she cocked her head to the side, the exotic woman had to be near the end of her pregnancy if she was experiencing false contractions.

“I am due to give birth in two weeks.”

“And yet, you still came?” the question was given in a tone of surprise.

“She refused to stay behind.” The Pharaoh replied in a deep accented voice.

“I told you.” His queen said with a roll of her large blue eyes. “I am fi-. Ow!” she looked down at her bump. “Liver shot.” She turned back to Seren. “As I was saying, you may have only just met us, but we have known you for a very long time.” She looked at her with large sapphire blue doe eyes framed by think black lashes, glimmering with laughter and amusement. They were so familiar, almost a mirror to her own except for the color.

“You’re someone important to me, aren’t you? All three of you.” She looked between the two humanoid royals and the large head in the cylindrical tank. “I could feel it the moment you came in to the room.”

“Still curious about everything, with a desire to learn.” Was the amused telepathic response. “Yes, we are very important to you. Merneith in particular.” Seren looked between the large head and the heavily pregnant queen. They looked back at her in silence.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” she stated more than asked. “I have to figure it out on my own. If it was something you could have told me, you would’ve done it already.”

“You always were quick to understand and draw you conclusions.”

Seren looked around and saw that the Doctor and Jabe still weren’t back.

“It was nice talking to you,” Seren stood up and looked at the three of them. “But I need to find my friend. I have no idea where he’s gotten to and he’s my ride.”

“One moment.” The Queen called, getting to her feet. “I will accompany you. I need to take a walk or my legs just may go numb.”

As the older female came to stand next to her, Seren noticed that they were roughly same height. The two waved at the males and turned to leave.

“Star-Flower!” They hadn’t even gone two steps when Seren winced at the mental shout as she turned back to the Face of Boe. “There comes a time when you must force the Doctor to save me, will you promise me that? Will you promise to save me?”

“Of course, I promise.” Seren said and frowned. “But why wouldn’t the Doctor save you?”

“When you meet him again, he will be in his true form and he doesn’t make the best of impressions on either of you.” The Pharaoh said, walking to them.

“But you have the heart and ability to forgive and give second chances. That's what I ask for, a second chance, my Star-Flower.”

Seren put her small hand on his glass. “I promise, Face of Boe as I know you, to give you a second chance.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Star-Flower.” Seren nodded and she and the Queen turned to leave. “Until later Star-Flower, Sapphire-Bird.”

The two women waved and walked out. They walked in silence for a few minutes, the Queen keeping one hand on her bump.

“Why did the Face of Boe call you Sapphire-Bird?” Seren asked, looking over at the older woman. “Is that what your name means? Merneith?”

“In a way.” The Queen said with a smile. “I have had many names, but the nickname comes from the name I had when we met for the first time.”

Seren nodded as they were approached by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme from the other end of the corridor.

The two women smiled at them, turning to the side to let the robed figures pass, only for them to stop and face them. Before either woman could do anything, the figure at the front pistol whipped the two women with a concealed weapon, knocking them both out. They dragged the two unconscious women down the corridor and out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seren groaned as she heard the strains of ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears echoing through her pounding head. Her groan was echoed by the Queen, as the two women slowly sat up and rubbed their pounding heads. They looked around to see that they were in Gallery 15.

“What happened?” the Queen asked softly, her hand going to her bump and letting out a breath of relief when she felt the ever-present fluttering of her baby.

 “I’m not s-” Seren started only to be interrupted by a mechanical voice.

_“Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.”_

With wide eyes, they ran up the stairs to the door and began banging on it as a deadly glare began filling the room. The filter, which kept the Sun from roasting everyone on the station, began descending, sending smoke out into the corridor.

“Let us out! Let us out!” Seren screamed, banging on the door next to the Queen.

_“Sun filter descending.”_

“Let us out!” the Queen screamed. “Let us out!”

“Anyone in there?” came the Doctor’s voice from the other side of the door.

“Let us out!” Seren screamed in terror.

“Oh, well it would be you.” The Doctor muttered sarcastically, just loud enough for the women to hear him.

“Open the door!” The Queen screamed at him through the door, one hand on her bump.

“Just hold on. Give us two ticks.” He called through the door. “Seren, who’s there with you?”

_“Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.”_

“The Queen, Merneith.” Seren replied as she began bending her knees as the scorching rays reached directly above her head, the Queen following suit as much as possible due to her advanced stage of pregnancy.

_“Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.”_

They all gave sighs of relief as the filter began rising, revealing a burnt border running around the room in evidence of the filter’s descent.

_“Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.”_

The two woman stood up properly, exchanging smiles as they waited for the door to be opened. The Queen winced and rubbed her stomach.

_“Sun filter descending.”_

The filter had only rose a few inches above Seren’s head when it began descending once more. The two women screamed as they crouched once again.

“Doctor, what happened?” Seren screamed through the door.

“The computer’s getting clever.” He yelled back loudly, changing the settings on the screwdriver and fiddling with the panel. “Just what we need.”

“Stop mucking about!” she yelled in terror, banging on the door.

“I’m not mucking about. It’s fighting back.” The Doctor replied.

Seren and the Queen glanced behind them as the filter descended, fear and terror pouring off them in waves.

“Open the door!” The Queen screamed, her arms curled protectively around her bump as tears of terror filled her eyes at the thought of never seeing her loved ones again.

“I know!” he called desperately.

As the filter lowered, it soon became impossible for them to stay where they were as the rays began moving down the door. They scrambled down the stairs and Seren lay flat on her front, the Queen on her side, to avoid the deadly rays.

“The lock’s melted!” Seren yelled as the two women grasped each other’s hands for comfort, what little they could give each other.

_“Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.”_

Seren closed her eyes as the rays reached directly above their supine positions flat on the ground.

_“Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.”_

As the sun filter began rising, the two women ran up the stairs and back to the door.

“The whole thing’s jammed. I can’t open the doors.” The Doctor told them, anticipating their questions.

“Stand back.” The Queen ordered, not only to Seren but to the Doctor as well.

Seren did as ordered, confused as she watched the Queen step back and form a large ball of energy in her hands. Once the ball had become roughly the size of both her tiny hands together, she threw it at the doors, blowing them off their hinges.

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” Seren asked as she looked at the pregnant female incredulously.

“Ever since I got pregnant, it has been very unpredictable.” The Queen replied as the Doctor helped her though the opening she had created. “It is fueled by my emotions.”

“Oh. I get it.” Seren said, nodding as the Doctor helped her through the opening as well and giving her a tight hug.

As they walked out of the burnt gallery, they heard the computer announce,  _“Earth death in five minutes.”_

“ _That_ is not helping.” Seren muttered, as the Doctor gave a brief overview of what he and Jabe had discovered.

The three of them were walking beside each other, Seren and the Doctor on either side of the pregnant woman as she held their hands in support.

Seren’s comment got nods of agreement from the other two. They entered the observation gallery just as Jabe was talking.

“The metal machine confirms it.” She was saying, looking at her scanning device in one hand and holding a metal spider in the other. “The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One.”

The other guests met her announcement with mutterings.

“How's that possible?” Cassandra asked. “Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me.”

One of her attendant’s pump sprayed her with moisturizer as the Doctor, an unhappy look on his face, took the metal spider from Jabe. Seren helped the Queen towards her husband, who put his arm around her and helped her sit, before they stood back near the Face of Boe, watching.

“Summon the Steward.” Moxx called in his high-pitched voice.

“I’m afraid the Steward is dead.” Jabe informed them.

Her news was met with several gasps and mutterings as everyone processed what they had just been told.

“Who killed him?” Moxx asked, his question breaking through the mummers.

“This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe.” Cassandra said. “He invited us.” The large head shook in denial. “Talk to the Face! Talk to the Face!”

“There’s an easy way of finding out.” The Doctor said and held out the metal spider. “Someone brought the little pet on board. Let’s send him back to master.” He put the spider down and, as the crowd watched in silence with baited breath, it scuttled off toward Cassandra, and as all eyes turned toward her, it scanned her before changing direction, making all eyes follow its progress around the room, and headed towards the group of black-robed figures, stopping in front of them.

“The Adherents of the Repeated Meme.” Cassandra gasped theatrically. “J'accuse!”

“That's all very well, and really kind of obvious,” The Doctor started walking forward, towards the robed figures, “but if you stop and think about it…” he stopped in front of them and the leader of the Adherents raised its arm to hit him, only for the blow to be blocked by the Doctor. He grabbed the arm and pulled, getting a groan from the figure, revealing a robotic attachment with wires dangling out from the end of it. “A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea.” He looked around at all of them before looking back at the Adherents and pulling on one of the dangling wires, causing all the Adherents to collapse in a pile of robes. He tossed the arm on top of the pile and turned back to the crowd, continuing his explanation. “Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo.” He nudged the little spider with his booted foot. “Go home.” The spider scuttled off, only to stop in front of Cassandra once again.

“I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed.” Cassandra said with narrowed eyes as she looked at him. The Doctor and Seren raised their eyebrows at the comment. “At arms!”

The two attendants raised their spray guns and aimed them at the Doctor.

“What are you going to do, moisturize me?” The Doctor asked in mock fear as Seren moved forward to stand next to him.

“With acid.” Cassandra replied, before carrying on smugly. “Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face.”

“Sabotaging the ship while you’re still inside it? How stupid’s that?” the Doctor asked skeptically.

“You had hoped to manufacture a hostage situation.” Seren said realization dawning on her face. At the confused glances she got from the Doctor and most of the guests, she elaborated. “With her as one of the victims, no one would think twice if she was the only survivor. The recognition and awareness she would have received for surviving such ‘trauma’ miraculously unscathed would have been remarkable.”

“Precisely.” Cassandra said smugly. “And the compensation would have been enormous.”

“Okay.  _That_  I didn’t think of.” Seren muttered, though it was still heard by everyone on the room.

“Five billion years and it still comes down to money.” The Doctor growled angrily.

“Do you think it’s cheap looking like this?” Cassandra snapped, narrowing her eyes. “Flatness costs a fortune.  _I_  am the last human, Doctor. Me.” The Doctor once again had his eyebrows raised in disbelief as Cassandra continued. “Not this freaky little kid of yours.” She gestured to Seren next to him.

“Arrest her, the infidel.” Moxx ordered them at large.

“Oh, shut it, pixie.” Cassandra snapped, making Moxx splutter in indignation. “I've still got my final option.”

“Please do not tell me it has…” the Queen began, one hand on her large bump while her husband had a supporting arm around her shoulders, only to be cut off.

_“Earth death in three minutes.”_

They all glanced up at the ceiling when they heard the computerized reminder.

“Got to do with that.” Merneith finished her earlier statement with a wince as she felt a particularly hard kick from the baby.

“Yes, and here it comes.” Cassandra said gleefully. “You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? ‘Burn, baby, burn’.”

“Then you'll burn with us.” Jabe pointed out, amid the mutterings that had broken out.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” Cassandra said in a false apologetic voice. “I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but…” she turned smug. “I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate!”

There were a series of explosions throughout the Platform, rocking the station. Jabe held on to the arms of her male escorts as the other guests held onto each other or the walls as they felt the force of the explosions. Djet tightened his grip on Merneith as she clenched his hand in a tight grip as she felt a particularly hard false contraction. The Doctor took Seren and held her close, keeping her from stumbling from the force of the explosion.

There was a high-pitched warning alarm in the background.

“Force fields gone with the planet about to explode.” Cassandra told them, explaining the alarm. “At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband.” Cassandra snorted slightly before controlling herself. “Oh, shame on me.”

_“Safety systems failing. Safety systems failing.”_

“Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings.” Cassandra said happily as she and her attendants beamed out of the Platform, sending red alarm lights flashing through the observation gallery.

_“Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising.”_

“Reset the computer.” Moxx cried, his tiny arms flailing about.

“Only the Steward would know how.” Jabe reminded him.

“No. We can do it by hand.” The Doctor said. “There must be a system restore switch. Jabe come on.” The Doctor said as him and Jabe walked towards the door. “Seren, stay here.”

“Where am I going to go? Ipswich?” Seren asked sarcastically as she kept a calming hand on the Queen, the stress and rising heat not at all good for a woman who is two weeks away from giving birth.

“You lot, just chill.” The Doctor told the rest, walking backwards through the door before the duo began running down the corridor.

_“Heat rising.”_

Merneith screamed in pain and squeezed Seren and Djet’s hands as a contraction, too powerful and painful to be false, rippled through her. Seren bit her lip to keep from screaming as well from the sudden pressure and Djet winced.

_“Earth death in two minutes. Earth death in two minutes.”_

“If this scream is anything to go by,” Seren said as the pregnant woman squeezed her hand. “You are definitely in labor, or at least very close to it. Either way, there is no way this baby is going to wait two weeks before making an appearance.”

“She is right, my love.” The Pharaoh said, looking at his wife who glared at him in response.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

_“Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical.”_

The Doctor and Jabe entered the Engine Room as the computer gave another warning.

_“Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical”_

“Oh, and guess where the switch is.” The Doctor said sarcastically as they came to a stop in front of the rotating razor-sharp fans.

It didn’t need saying from either of them that the switch was on the other side of the fans.

_“Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising.”_

The Doctor went to breaker that was attached to a wall right next to the door and pulled the lever down, slowing the fans just enough so they can run through. He came back to the fans, letting go of the lever, only for the fans to resume their previous lethal speed.

_“External temperature five thousand degrees.”_

Jabe went to the breaker and pulled the lever down, making the Doctor look at her as the fans slowed down once more.

“You can’t.” he said shakily. “The heat’s gonna vent through this place.”

“I know.” Jabe replied with a smile, her eyes bright.

“Jabe, you’re made of wood.”

“Then stop wasting time…Time Lord.”

The Doctor smiled and turned back to the fans.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

_“Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising.”_

The large group of guests and staff in the Observation Gallery screamed as the glass began to crack.

“We’re going to die!!” Moxx cried out in fear as his comment was met by more screams.

“Not helping!” Seren yelled at the tiny blue alien.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

“ _Heat levels hazardous. Heat levels hazardous._ ”

The Doctor looked at the fan, pausing for a moment before he ran through, stumbling slightly as he stopped before the second one.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

_“Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction.”_

Rays of the Sun’s deadly glare lanced through into the Gallery as the cries of terror from the guests in the Observation Gallery were intermingled with the fearful whimpers of the Platform’s little attendants.

_“Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical."_

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

The Doctor looked at Jabe before turning back to the fan and timed his run past it.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

The large group dodged and avoided as many of the rays as possible, as the cracks got larger, making the rays larger as well. The screams of terror intermingled with Merneith’s screams of pain, her veil gone and revealing the beautiful face beneath filled with pain, as she sat on the ground with Seren and her husband on either side of her.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

_“Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising.”_

Jabe whimpered as flame erupted along her arm. She screamed, her arms shaking as she tried to hold the lever down, but failing as she stumbled backwards, letting go of the breaker, and was engulfed in flames. The fans sped up once again until they were just a blur, one more in between the Doctor and the circuit breaker. The Doctor looked back when he heard the scream, seeing Jabe entirely engulfed in flames. He turned back to the fan, stumbling slightly as the speed pushed him backwards.

_“Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…”_

As he heard the countdown, he closed his eyes, listening to the TARDIS’ song.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

Seren closed her eyes as the rays began to get larger as they lanced through the cracking glass. At the back of her mind, she could hear the TARDIS singing soothingly.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

_“Four.”_

The Doctor made it past the last fan and ran to the breaker, resetting it.

“Raise shields!” he yelled, holding the breaker down.

_“One.”_

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

A force field enveloped the Platform just as the sun expanded and the planet began to boil before exploding outwards.

_“Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair.”_

Seren opened her eyes as the cracks began to disappear and saw as the fractured remains of her home float by the newly repaired glass.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

The Doctor walked back past the fans, now slowed down considerably, to Jabe’s smoking remains. He stopped and looked at them for a moment before leaving the Engine Room and going back to the Observation Gallery. Entering the Observation Gallery, he saw the Moxx of Balhoon’s transport pod smoking, as he had been fried by the glare. There were a few piles of dust around the gallery where others had been fried as well, including some of the little attendants. The only sound now was the communications of the little attendants as they saw to the guests. He glanced at Seren before going to Jabe’s escorts and giving the two males the news of her demise. They held on to each other as the Doctor patted them sympathetically on the shoulders and walked towards Seren.

“You alright?” the Doctor asked her from where she was next to a very much in labor Queen who screamed loudly as a contraction rippled through her. Seren groaned as the woman squeezed her hand tightly before loosening her grip once the contraction passed.

“Yeah.” Seren nodded once she had feeling back in her hand and stood up. “You?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine.” The Doctor growled. “I’m full of ideas. I’m bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed.” He stalked to the stand that held the alleged ostrich egg. “Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby.” He smashed the egg on the stand, revealing a small device. He picked up the device and walked back to Seren. “Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed.” He turned the dial on the back of the device.

“Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces…” Came Cassandra voice seconds before was beamed back onto the Platform. “Oh!” Cassandra breathed when she saw the angry faces looking back at her.

“The last human.” The Doctor said with a growl.

“So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, The Human Club.” Cassandra said flustered, stumbling slightly over her words.

“People have died Cassandra!” The Doctor said angrily, her comment echoed by several mummers of agreement. “You murdered them!”

“That depends on your definition of ‘people’, and that is enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries.” Cassandra retorted back, completely unrepentant. “Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile” the skin began to tighten “and cry and flutter…”

“And creak?” the Doctor added, interrupting her.

“And what?” she asked surprised, looking at them, having not realized that she was drying out.

“Creak. You are creaking.” The Doctor repeated.

“What?” Cassandra asked surprise, pausing for a moment as she began noticing the tightening of her skin. “Ah! I'm drying out!” she cried out. “Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me!” she called out, “Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!” she asked when no one did so, her voice tightening as well in pain as her skin continued to tighten and shrink.

“You raised the temperature.” The Doctor reminded her matter-of-factly.

“Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything.” She pleaded as Rose walked over to them slowly.

“Help her.” Seren requested softly to him, only for him to look at her with those ancient eyes.

“Everything has it’s time, and everything dies.” The Doctor told Seren softly as Cassandra continued to plead and moan.

“I’m too young!” was her final cry of protest as she exploded, splattering in every direction.

Before anyone could make another sound, or comment on Cassandra’s actions and subsequent demise, the Queen screamed in pain. Seren and the Doctor hurried over to her, crouching next to the panting woman.

“Every time.” she muttered darkly to her wincing husband. “Every time I get pregnant, the baby always comes early, or late. Never when scheduled!” she let out a breath and took a deep one in before letting it out.

“I know, my love.” The male said soothingly, wisely deciding to agree with his wife rather than argue. “I know.”

“How far apart are the contractions?” Seren asked them.

The two looked at each other, not knowing for certain, having been too preoccupied with what had been occurring to time the contractions. “A few minutes, perhaps.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?” The Doctor asked his Companion with a doubtful look on his face.

“Yes, I know what I am doing. I was there when my elder sister gave birth to David, not to mention I did my required volunteer hours at a maternity ward.” Seren told him as she ran her hands over the swollen belly. “Unfortunately, we can’t move you. It’s too late for that. You’re giving birth to your baby right now.”

The Doctor looked around for something that could be used to provide some privacy but couldn’t find anything.

“Okay, you lot. Listen up.” He called out loudly, making everyone except Seren, the Pharaoh and the Queen look at him. “We need to give them some privacy, so if everyone could make their way out of the Gallery, that would be good. Thank you.”

The guests did as he requested, understanding the need for some privacy during such a time, especially as the woman in question was a Queen.

“Doctor, can you get hot water?” Seren asked the alien turning to him briefly and receiving a nod in response. “Lots of hot water.”

As he left to find water, Seren grabbed her purse and began rummaging through it, pulling out a pair of scissors, some clothes pins, and a large swab of uncut cloth, always being the kind of person who carries a wide range of items that never made sense until they came in handy. By then, the Pharaoh had gotten his wife to lay on her back, kneeling back against him as he squatted behind her and supported her with his entire body and holding her arms. Seren lifted the woman’s gown, removed her heels and knelt in between her legs.

“Okay, you’re almost fully dilated,” Seren told her, “and it won’t be long.”

The Queen squeezed her husbands’ hands as several contractions ripped through her over the course of the next few minutes. With each one, she screamed loudly, and as the last one ripped through her, the Doctor ran inside carrying a large bucket of hot water, followed by several attendants carrying buckets of hot and cold water, as well as an empty one that could be used to mix them. With a nod of thanks to the attendants, he began sterilizing the scissors and the clips.

“Okay Merneith, when the next contraction hits, I need you to push.” Seren told the panting and exhausted woman.

She nodded and breathed in and out a few times before tensing as another contraction stared.

“Push!” Seren ordered.

She pushed with all her strength as the contraction ripped through her and passed. She leaned back against her husband as they waited for the next one, which came only seconds after first.

“Push!”

The Queen pushed and then waited.

_“Shuttles Four and Six departing.”_

A few seconds later, “Push!” and Merneith pushed. This repeated for several minutes until Seren finally announced excitedly, “I see the head. Push!” Merneith took a deep breath and pushed with what little strength she had. “Alright, one last push should do it.” Seren said. “Wait for it…” she waited a few seconds, “okay, PUSH!”

The Queen pushed for the last time as the baby came out, Seren supporting the tiny being as the Doctor put the clothes pins on the umbilical cord before keeping out the large cloth for the baby to be wrapped in on the side where it can easily be reached.

“It’s a boy.” Seren announced happily as Merneith smiled weakly and Djet let out a tear-filled laugh.

The Doctor switched places with Djet, so the father could cut the cord. With slightly trembling hands, Djet cut the cord and wrapped the baby in the cloth.

“Okay, Merneith, I need you to push one last time for the afterbirth.” Seren told her, before they could get caught up in the excitement of the new baby. She nodded, and squeezing the Doctors’ hands, she waited for a nod from Seren before pushing one last time.

Getting everything cleaned up with the help of the attendants, the Doctor came back to Seren as she sterilized the scissors and the pins they had used.

“Do you know what you are going to name him?” Seren asked the new parents.

“We have some ideas, but we’re going to wait until we reach home.” Djet told them with a smile, as he helped Merneith stand up with her arms around the baby. “This is something we must share with our family.”

They nodded in acceptance as the Doctor slowly walked royal Egyptian couple out of the gallery with the new baby swaddled in Merneith’s arms. They turned around the corner and headed for the shuttle bay.

When he returned several minutes later, he found Seren looking out of the window, looking at the asteroids that were once her home, now floating past the Platform and the red giant Sun.

“The end of the Earth.” Seren said softly as the Doctor came to a stop beside. “It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just…”

“Come with me.” The Doctor said softly, holding his large hand out to the smaller woman.

She looked at him for a moment before taking his large hand with her much smaller one. They went back to the TARDIS and dematerialized, and when they landed a few seconds later, Seren went out to see that they were in the Downtown London. The Doctor following behind her, closing the door as he stepped out.

Seren took in the sounds of a baby crying, a man laughing as the three of them stand in the middle of a crowd teeming with people going about their lives.

“Big Issue! Big Issue!” came the call of a newspaper vendor.

Seren had tears in her eyes as she took in the hustle and bustle she once took for granted.

“You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't.” the Doctor said gently, as he looked at his Companion. “One day it's all gone.” He looked up, “Even the sky. My planet’s gone. It’s dead. It burned like the Earth. It’s just rocks and dust before its time.”

“What happened?” Seren asked him softly, noticing the pain in his voice and in his eyes. A pain she knew very well.

“There was a war. And we lost.” He replied.

“A war with who?” Seren asked. When he didn’t answer, she asked, “What about your people?”

The young brunette looked up at him.

“I’m a Time Lord. I’m the last of the Time Lords.” The Doctor said to her. “They’re all gone. I’m the only survivor of my race. I’m left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else.”

“There’s me.” Seren said softly.

He looked at her and smiled slightly. She smiled back.

“You’ve seen how dangerous it is.” The Doctor said. “Do you want to go home?”

“I don’t know. I want…” Seren trailed off and sniffed delicately at the air. “Oh, can you smell chips?”

He sniffed and smiled.

“Yeah. Yeah.” The Doctor nodded with a laugh.

“I want chips.” Seren breathed.

“Me, too.” The Doctor said with a smile as he looked at the beautiful woman.

“Right then,” Seren said. “Before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay.” She told them.

“No money.” The Doctor said, shrugging his shoulders.

“What sort of date are you?” Seren asked mockingly. “Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close.”

The two of them walked off towards a chip shop, laughing lightly as Seren looped her arm through his arm.

 

 

 **Notes**  

Djet's outfit (Akhmenra's outfit from Night in the Museum) <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/313774299015987352/>

Djet's eye liner [https://www.pinterest.ca/pin](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/54746951697414580/)[/54746951697414580/](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/54746951697414580/)

Merneith's dress <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477180305/>

Merneith's veil <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879469152896/>

Merneith's sandals <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/299982025149850107/>

Merneith's crown <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/478789004110154744/>

Merneith's make-up <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/26036504075375154/>

Seren's Mark <https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470503082/>

 


	4. The Unquiet Dead

The TARDIS jerked in mid-flight through the Time Vortex, alarms ringing, causing her two passengers to tighten their grips on the console. It was utter mayhem as the two passengers piloted the magnificent ship.

“Hold that one down.” The Doctor ordered Seren, as he stretched over the console and pressed two buttons down on opposite sides of the console.

“I am holding this one down!” Seren snapped back, in a similar position as the Doctor though not covering quite as much due to her tiny frame.

“Hold them both down!” he yelled in response.

“It’s not going to work.” Seren told him, stretching across her half of the console and pressed the button.

“Oy, I promised you a time machine and that’s what you’re going to get.” The Doctor snapped at her. “Now, you’ve had a look at the future, now let’s have a look at the future. 1860. How does 1860 sound?”

“What happened in 1860?” Seren asked, history never having been her strongest point. However, that probably had more to do with her teacher being dryer than the Sahara dessert.

“No idea. Let’s find out.” The Doctor said, shaking his head as much as he could while piloting the ship. “Hold on, here we go!” he had an excited look on his face, despite his spread out position over the console, as they hurtled through the Vortex.

Landing roughly, the duo were tossed to floor. As soon as the engines fell silent, they began laughing as they got back to their feet.

“Blimey!” Seren cried chuckling lightly.

“You alright?” The Doctor asked with a smile, getting to his feet and going to the monitor to see where they landed.

“Yeah, I think so.” Seren said, coming to stand beside him and have a look at the monitor as well. “Nothing broken at least. Did we make it? Where are we?”

“I did it!” the Doctor exclaimed happily. “Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860.”

“That’s so weird.” Seren said softly. “It’s Christmas.”

“All yours.” The Doctor told her with a smile.

“But, it's like… think about it, though.” Seren said in a soft voice, pondering. “Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You two can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still.”

“Not a bad life?” The Doctor commented, crossing his arms and leaned against the console.

“Better with two.” Seren said, making him all smile. “Come on, then.” She clapped him on the arm and headed to the door, startling the alien.

“Hey, where do you think you're going?” he called out to her in surprise.

“1860.” Seren replied with a smile, turning to him on the ramp.

Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella.” The Doctor told her, gesturing to her 21st Century clothes that she had been wearing since she had joined them.

Seren looked down at her jean skirt, sleeveless blouse and high-heeled sandals and nodded, the man had a point.

“There's a wardrobe through there.” He said, gesturing to the main doorway just off the console room. “First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Go on.”

As she turned and headed out of the console room to follow his directions to the Wardrobe, she heard the faint “Hurry up!” from the Doctor as he watched her go before shaking his head, knowing from years of experience with Companions that it would likely take her as long as it would, and not a moment less.

Entering the massive and magnificent Wardrobe, Seren looked around in wonder at the clothes from various times in history, and even those that had a distinct futuristic tone.

“Okay, 1860. I need mid-19th Century fashion.” She muttered to herself as she walked along the rows of clothes.

At her feet, there was a golden light, creating a path through the massive area.

“TARDIS?” Seren asked, looking at the ceiling in confusion.

There was the sound of a giggle and Seren got the distinct impression that the sentient time-traveling ship was up to something.

With a slight frown, she shrugged and followed the light. She walked for a few minutes, coming to a stop at a row of fashions from the mid-19th Century, complete with all types of accessories, shoes, etc.

“Wow.” She breathed in amazement, barely holding back the urge to squeal. She ran a hand over the different dresses. “What to choose?” she glance up. “Any suggestions?”

One of the dresses glowed slightly with a golden hue and the tiny brown-haired woman took it of the row and held it up, looking at it.

“This one?”

The place the dress had been hanging glowed in response, and another giggle echoed in her mind.

“Okay.” Seren said with a smile, picking out the matching accessories before quickly changing and putting up her hair.

Once she had changed, she returned to the console room, where the Doctor was working under the console. He looked up when the woman entered, appropriately coiffed and attired for the time-period.

Seren was dressed in a TARDIS blue silk satin dress embroidered with silver, with short silver capped sleeves and a square neckline, matching silver and sapphire blue bracelet ab dangling earring set, her long hair pinned up in rolls at the back of her head with a thick curled tendril hanging over her shoulder, and a pair of TARDIS blue 5” heeled vintage laced ankle boots* on her feet. She refused to wear the 19th century boots, high school drama classes teaching her that they were incredibly uncomfortable, not to mention doing absolutely nothing for her small height of 5’1. Over top the dress, she had a velvet silver cloak with the cord tied at her throat* and the hood down.

“Blimey!” he said jumping out from the space between the controls, eyes wide as he took in the woman’s appearance.

“Don’t laugh.” Seren warned, pointing her finger at him with a small laugh.

“You look beautiful.” he said truthfully, before adding, “considering.”

“Considering what?” she asked with a slight frown.

“That you’re human.” He said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Seren said, before taking in his appearance, which _hadn’t_ changed. “Aren’t you going to change?”

“I’ve changed my jumper.” He replied. “Come on!”

He moved to go outside but was stopped by Seren.

“You stay here. You’ve done this before.” She said, walking past him and going to the door. “This one’s mine.”

She opened the door and looked out, gingerly stepping onto the freshly fallen snow as the Doctor walked out behind her.

“Ready for this?” The Doctor asked with an encouraging smile, holding his arm out to her.

She nodded and looped her own through it.

“Here we go.” He said with a bright smile. “History.”

They walked down the street as a small choir sang ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’. They paused for a moment, Seren looking around in wonder as the Doctor spotted a man holding a newspaper. He let her go and went over to the man. Seren followed him and watched as the Doctor handed the man a few coins and took the paper in exchange.

Seren walked beside the Doctor as he opened the paper and looked at it.

“I got the flight a bit wrong.” He told her as he lowered the paper a few seconds later.

“I don’t care.” She replied with a wide smile on her face as they continued walking with the Doctor beside her.

“It's not 1860, it's 1869.”

“I don’t care.”

“It’s not Naples.”

“I don’t care.”

“It’s Cardiff.”

Seren stopped in her tracks, her smile fading, as the Doctor continued walking.

“Right.” She muttered before hurrying to catch up with him.

They walked for a while, Seren getting over her dismay at being in Cardiff, they were in 1869 and she was going to enjoy it, when they heard screams.

“That’s more like it!” the Doctor exclaimed with a smile, tossing the paper over his shoulder as they ran towards the theatre, where the screams were originating.

They ran inside, fighting against the crowd that was fleeing. The squeezed their way into the auditorium and looked up, seeing a blue gas entity flying around the upper viewing gallery.

“Fantastic.” The Doctor breathed, earning an eye-roll from Seren as he ran to the stage.

The entity disappeared for the moment as an old woman and she collapsed as the Doctor reached the stage.

“Did you see where it came from?” the Doctor asked the well-dressed man on the stage.

“Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he?” the man growled crossly as he walked towards him slightly. “I trust you’re satisfied, sir!”

“Oi! Leave her alone!” Seren cried out, making him turn to her and saw that an old man and a young girl were carrying the woman out. “Doctor, I’ll get them!”

“Be careful!” The Doctor yelled to her as she followed the pair carrying the body. He jumped onto the stage and walked to wards the well-dressed man. “Did it say anything?” the Doctor asked him, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Can it speak?” “I’m the Doctor, by the way.” He added, waving slightly.

“Doctor? You look more like a navvie.” The man muttered in response.

“What is _wrong_ with this jumper?” the Doctor asked exasperatedly, looking at the unimpressed man beside him.

Outside, the young girl and the older man were putting the old woman in the hearse.

“What are you doing?” Seren cried, running up to the girl.

“Oh, it’s a tragedy, miss.” The girl said, blocking Seren’s attempts to get around her to look at the old woman. “Don't worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary.”

Seren rolled her large eyes and pushed the girl aside, putting a hand on the woman’s pale cheek.

“She’s ice cold.” Seren said, before putting two fingers on the woman’s pulse point to check for a pulse as she used the wrist of her other hand to check for breathing. “No pulse. No breath. She’s dead.” She turned to the girl, who looked slightly guilty. “What did you do to her?”

Seren, so focused on the girl in front of her, didn’t see the old man come up behind her and put a pad of cloth over her mouth and nose. The time-travelling Welshwoman struggled for a few seconds, elbowing the man in the stomach and kicking his leg with the back of her heel. He groaned at the impacts but held firm to the tiny woman until she slumped in his arms, the effect of the Chloroform knocking her out.

“What did you do that for?” Gwyneth asked in horror.

“She’s seen too much.” Sneed replied matter-of-factly. “Get her in the hearse. Legs.”

Gwyneth knelt down and picked up the woman’s legs as the pair put her in the back of the hearse with the body of the dead old woman.

Inside the theatre, the blue entity appeared again with a loud screech, flying around the auditorium as several people screamed once more and began running for the doors. The entity flew around above their heads for a moment before flying into one of the gaslights that hung on the walls.

“Gas.” The Doctor breathed. “It’s made of gas.” He looked around and noticed that Seren hadn’t returned.

The Doctor jumped off the stage, followed by the well-dressed man, and headed outside. He looked around, and saw a young woman close the back of a hearse behind an unconscious Seren.

“Seren!” The Doctor yelled, running to the road before stopping.

“You’re not escaping me, sir!” the man cried, following them as he rambled on. “What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?”

“Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks.” The Doctor said, as he went to nearby carriage. “Oi, you!” he said to the driver, running around the side and getting in. “Follow that hearse!”

“I can't do that, sir.” The driver protested.

“Why not?” the Doctor asked as the well-dressed man came to the door.

“I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach.” He blustered to him.

“Well, get in then!” the Doctor said exasperatedly as he pulled the man in.

“Move!” the Doctor yelled to the driver once the man was inside and the door was closed.

The driver cracked his whip and the carriage began to move down the street.

“Come on, you’re losing them.” The Doctor urged the driver as he looked out of the window.

“Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?” the driver called back to them.

“No! It is not!” the man snapped as the Doctor eyes widened and they looked at the man whose carriage they were in.

“What did he say?” The Doctor asked, looking at the man.

“Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humor…” the man said, not noticing the expression.

“Dickens?” the Doctor asked, turning slightly in the seat to look at the man next to him.

“Yes.”

“Charles Dickens?” the Doctor clarified.

“Yes.”

“The Charles Dickens?”

“Should I remove the gentleman, sir?” the Driver asked.

“Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. We’ve read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?” The Doctor exclaimed excitedly, like a kid at Christmas.

“A Christmas Carol?” the man, Dickens, asked.

“No, no, no, the one with the trains.” The Doctor said. “’The Signal Man’, that’s it. Absolutely terrifying!”

“The best short story ever written. You’re a genius.” The Doctor continued.

“You want me to get rid of him, sir?” the driver asked again.

“Er, no, I think he can stay.” Dickens replied.

“Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I’m such a big fan.” The Doctor said, excitement pouring off him in waves.

“What? You’re a big what?” Dickens asked confused by the context of the term.

“Fan. Number one fan, that's me.” The Doctor replied, gesturing to himself.

“How exactly are either of you a fan?” he asked, looking at the man in confusion. “In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?”

“No, it means fanatic, devoted to.” The Doctor explained. “Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit.”

“I thought you said you were my fan.” Dicken said, taken aback at the criticism.

“Ah, well, if you can't take criticism…” The Doctor said. “Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up.” He shook his head, saying, “No, sorry, forget about that.” He turned to the driver, “Come on, faster!”

The driver cracked his whip and the carriage began moving faster.

“Who exactly is in that hearse?” Dickens asked, taking in the worried looks that were now on their faces.

“My friend.” The Doctor said. “She's only 23. It's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger.”

“Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important.” Dickens asked indignantly. He called out to the driver, “Driver, be swift! The chase is on!”

“Yes, sir!” the Driver cracked his whip a few times, making the horses pick up speed.

“Attaboy, Charlie.”

“Nobody calls me Charlie.” Dickens told him.

“The ladies do.” The Doctor said with a smirk.

“How do you know that?” Dickens asked surprised.

“I told you, I’m your number one…” the Doctor began.

“Number one fan.” Dickens muttered. “Yes.”

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

Reaching the house, Sneed and Gwyneth carried an unconscious Seren inside to the Chapel of the Rest.

“The poor girl’s still alive, sir.” Gwyneth said. “What are we going to do with her?”

“I don’t know!” Sneed snapped in exasperation as they gently put the girl down on a covered table. “I didn't plan any of this, did I. It isn't my fault if the dead won't stay dead.”

“Then whose fault is it, sir?” Gwyneth asked, despair written on her face and clear in her voice. “Why is this happening to us?”

Gwyneth turned and walked out of the chapel and into the hallway, followed by Sneed who locked the chapel door. They didn’t see the gas lamps flare slightly, nor did they hear the whispered voices.

“I did the Bishop a favor once.” Sneed said to Gwyneth a few minutes later as they walked down the hallway, after removing their cloaks. “Made his nephew look like a cherub even though he'd been a fortnight in the weir.” He put a hand on Gwyneth’s shoulder to stop her rapid pace and gently turned her to look at him. “Perhaps he'll do us an exorcism on the cheap.”

Before Gwyneth could reply, there was a knock on the door.

“Say I’m not in.” Sneed told her. “Tell them we’re closed. Just, just get rid of them.”

Gwyneth nodded as Sneed ran back down the hall, out of sight as Gwyneth took a deep breath, and went to the door.

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

Seren woke up with a slight groan, sitting up and rubbing her forehead to alleviate some of the building tension that was side effect of being knocked out. Behind her, blue gas from the gas lamp mounted on the wall flew into a young man that was lying in a casket. Hearing a strange groaning sound behind her, she whirled around. Her eyes went wide as she saw the last remnants of the gas entity enter the young man, who sat up and turned to face her.

“Are you all right?” Seren asked, cautiously. The young man looked at her, groaning as he slowly got out of the casket. “You have got to be kidding me. Zombies.” She groaned as she quickly got off the table and back away from the advancing zombie.

She turned and ran to the door, trying the knob only to find it locked. With her heart racing, she turned and looked back at the zombie, only to find another rising from a casket; this one was the old woman she had seen in the hearse.

Seren swore colorfully in Welsh, absently grateful that no one could hear the very unladylike words. She grabbed a vase from the table beside her and, removing the lilies that were in it, threw it at the advancing male zombie. Unfortunately, all it did, aside from break on impact, was cause the male zombie to stumble slightly.

She turned and banged on the door.

“Let me out! Let me out!” she screamed, hoping someone could hear her. Hearing the groaning zombies get closer to her, she turned around and faced them. “Okay.” She muttered to herself. “I am not going to wait for someone to rescue me, though it would be nice help would arrive soon.”

She looked around and saw a chair not far from her. She grabbed it and slammed it against the wall, breaking off the legs and holding one stick in each hand. As the male zombie approached her, reaching a hand out towards her, she smacked it with one of the sticks before swinging the other one to hit him across the face. He stumbled back slightly as the female advanced on her.

Seren ducked the outstretched hand, and swiped the woman’s legs out from beneath her, making her fall backwards. Seren straightened up and held the make shift short staffs in front of her as the male advanced on her once again, over his momentary shock.

As she faced him, the door opened behind her and the Doctor reached out and pulled her back towards him.

“I think this is my dance.” He said as he stood in the doorway, keeping his arm around the woman.

“It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence.” Dickens muttered disbelievingly, looking over their shoulders.

“No, we’re not. The dead are walking.” Seren said, glancing briefly at the man before turning to look at the zombies.

The Doctor looked down at his beautiful and feisty Companion. “Hi.” He said with a bright smile.

“Hi.” She replied just as brightly, still having a tight grip on the makeshift staffs in her hand, ready to use them at a moment’s notice. She looked at Dickens once more and turned to the man beside her. “Who’s your friend?”

“Charles Dickens.” The Doctor replied brightly.

“Okay.” She said, turning back to the corpses.

“My names the Doctor.” The Time Lord said. “Who are you?”

_“Failing.”_ The male corpse said with the voice of many. _“Open the Rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!”_

The beings possessing the corpses screamed as they leave the two host bodies, returning to the gas lamps that lit the room. Seren winced as she heard the screams, dropping the sticks to the ground and covering her ears to block out the horrible sound. Once the gas entities left them, the bodies of the dead pair collapsed to the ground. She cautiously lowered her hands, letting out a sigh of relief when there was no more screaming.

“We should get them back into their coffins.” Seren suggested after a moment, looking at the corpses on the ground before looking at the three men and the young serving girl.

The Doctor and Seren went over to the body of the old lady and crouched down, Seren by the head and the Doctor by the legs.

“On three.” Seren said, getting a nod in response. “One. Two. Three.”

They lifted the old woman and gently put her in an open coffin, the serving girl hurrying over and putting the arms properly as the Doctor went to the male corpse. Dickens and the undertaker joined him.

“What’s your name?” Seren asked the young serving girl as the men placed the male body in the corpse.

“Gwyneth, miss.” She replied softly, glancing at her for a moment before looking away.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Gwyneth.” Seren said softly, a gently smile on her lips as she looked up at the young girl. “I’m Seren.”

“It is nice to meet you, miss.” Gwyneth said to her softly.

“And who is the elderly man?” Seren asked, watching the men.

“Mr. Sneed.” Gwyneth said and began making her way out of the room. “I will go make some tea for everyone.”

“Right.” Seren muttered as the serving girl left, the Doctor coming to stand beside her.

“Seren.” The Doctor said warningly, recognizing the tone the young brunette was using.

Seren didn’t reply, and he let it go. If Seren was going to rant at the old man, then he wasn’t going to stop her. After all, the man did drug her, put her in a room with walking corpses and then take off. He knew there were some who had ranted at people for a lot less.

A short while later, they were all in the living room and Gwyneth was pouring tea for them all.

“First of all, you drugged me,” Seren ranted at Sneed, who was sitting on an arm chair and watching the brunet who had a walking cane in her hand as she paced in front of him. “And then you kidnapped me… and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man!”

The Doctor, standing by the fireplace, held back his chuckles though he couldn’t keep the amused smile off his face. The woman really was something else.

“I will not be spoken to like this!” Sneed said, insulted at the accusation as Gwyneth began serving the tea.

“Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies!” Seren continued, ignoring the interruption. “And if that wasn't enough, you swan off and leave me to die! So, come on, talk!”

“It's not my fault! It's this house.” Sneed cried out defensively. Seeing their eyes on him, he continued, shifting slightly in nervousness. “It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until three months back, and then the stiffs…” at Dicken’s raised eyebrow, he amended, “the er… the dear departed… started getting restless.”

“Tommy-rot!” Dicken snapped, taking a sip of his tea.

“You witnessed it!” Sneed reminded him. “Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps...”

“Two sugars, sir, just how you like it.” Gwyneth said softly to the Doctor, handing a cup of tea to him, which he took with a smile of thanks and looked at her retreating back curiously.

“…One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned.” Sneed said to Dickens, giving examples of others who had walked off after dying, trying to convince the author of the truth if the words.

“Morbid fancy.” Dickens denied, standing up.

“Oh, Charles, you were there!” The Doctor snapped, getting tired of the man’s constant denial of what was right in front of him.

“I saw nothing but an illusion.” The author stated firmly, standing tall, with his head held high.

“If you’re going to deny it, don’t waste our time. Just shut up!” The Doctor snapped at him, causing the author to deflate slightly from his adamant stance.

“What about the gas?” Seren asked, letting go of her irritation at the man for the moment.

“That’s new miss.” Sneed admitted, slightly relieved that he wasn’t being yelled at by the younger Welshwoman. “Never seen anything like that.”

“Means it's getting stronger, the Rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through.” The Doctor explained as they all looked at him.

“What’s the Rift?” Seren asked, looking at him.

“A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another.” The Doctor explained. “It's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time.”

“That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations.” Sneed said in realization, as Dickens left the room. “Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine.”

With that, they fell silent as Gwyneth gathered the teacups and saucers, placing them on a tray and taking them out of the room. The Doctor left the room as well as Seren, who followed Gwyneth to the pantry.

The woman walked in just as Gwyneth lit a gas lamp and blew out the match. She went to the sink and looked for a rag that she could use to wash the dishes.

“Please, miss, you shouldn’t be helping.” Gwyneth protested as Seren picked up a rag and a dish. “It’s not right.”

“Don’t be silly. Mister Sneed works you to death.” Seren said with a gentle smile.

Gwyneth gestured for the rag and dish that were in Seren’s hands. She handed them to her and stepped back slightly as she asked curiously, “How much you get paid?”

“Eight pound a year, miss.” Gwyneth replied, causing Seren’s eyes to widen in shock.

“How much?” she asked, her shock coloring her voice. The value of the Pound in the 1800’s was such that being paid eight pounds a year was quite a big deal, especially for a maid, which is essentially a minimum wage job.

“I know. I would’ve been happy with six.” Gwyneth admitted.

“So, did you go to school as well?” Seren asked.

“Of course, I did.” Gwyneth replied, turning to face her. “What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper.”

“I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just curious.” Seren hurried to explain, earning a nod in understanding. Seren frowned as Gwyneth’s reply to school filtered through her head. “wait, once a week?”

“We did sums and everything.” Gwyneth replied, pausing for a moment before continuing in a whisper, “To be honest, I hated every second.”

“Me, too.” Seren admitted, giggling. “My sister on the other hand, loves school. Though we both do enjoy reading. Give us a good book any day.”

“Don’t tell anyone…” Gwyneth said after a few moments, “but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!” She finished with a small laugh, a hand on her mouth as if the very idea had been outrageous and she couldn’t believe she had done it.

“My god-sister, Rose, did plenty of that.” Seren told her, as they giggled lightly. “She used to go ‘round the shops with her mate Shareen. They used to go and look at boys.”

Gwyneth lost her giggle and looked completely scandalized.

“Well, I don't know much about that, miss.” She said with a straight face and turned back to the sink, washing the dishes.

“Oh, times haven't changed that much.” Seren teased the young serving girl as she poked her slightly in the waist. “I bet you've done the same.”

“I don’t think so, miss.” Gwyneth said, not looking away from her work.

“Come on Gwyneth, you can tell me.” Seren said. “I bet you have your eye on someone.”

“I suppose. There is one lad. The butchers’ boy.” Gwyneth admitted, turning to the traveler. “He comes by every Tuesday.” She got a dreamy look in her eye. “Such a nice smile on him.”

Seren sighed in response.

“I like a nice smile.” Seren said with a slightly dreamy sigh of her own, remembering the stories her parents and grand-parents used to tell of their relationships. “Good smile, nice bum.” She added seriously, making Gwyneth stop giggling and stare at her in shock.

“Well, I have never heard the like!” Gwyneth said, the shocked look on her face sending Seren into a fit of giggles.

“Ask him out.” Seren said. “Give him a cup of tea. It’s a start.”

“I swear it is the strangest thing, miss.” Gwyneth said softly. “You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing.”

“Maybe I am.” Seren replied. “Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed.”

“Oh, now that's not fair.” Gwyneth said softly. “He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve.”

“I’m sorry.” Seren said gently, feeling guilty for her assumptions.

“Thank you, miss.” Gwyneth said softly. “But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise.” She had a look of hope on her face. “I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your parents and god-father are up there waiting for you too, miss.”

“Maybe.” Seren said softly, her voice slightly pained at the memory of her parents and her god-father who were taken too soon. She shook her head slightly and turned to Gwyneth, asking curiously, “Who told you they were dead?”

“I don't know.” Gwyneth replied shiftily, turning back to the dishes. “Must have been the Doctor.”

“My god-father died years back, and my parents slightly more recently.” Seren said.

Despite the conversation, Seren was slightly confused. She knew that the Doctor wouldn’t just tell anyone about her parents and god-father, in fact she had only told him about her parents. Even if he did tell her about her parents, how did Gwyneth know about her god-father as well?

“But you’ve been thinking about them lately more than ever.” Gwyneth replied, glancing at Seren.

“I suppose so.” She admitted softly. “How do you know all this?”

“Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?”

“No.” Seren scoffed as the two of them laughed lightly. “No servants were I’m from.”

“And you've come such a long way.” Gwyneth said, her laughter fading as she looked at the brunette.

“What makes you think so?” Seren asked, her own laughter fading as well as she looked at her.

“You're were born in Cardiff, but you moved to London with your younger sister after your parents’ death.” Gwyneth said, looking into Seren’s eyes as the brunette was unable to look away from the penetrating gaze. “I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise…” she flinched slightly as if she could hear the noise herself, “and the metal boxes racing past. And the birds in the sky… No, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness… The Big Bad Wolf.” She stumbled back, hitting the shelf behind her. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss.”

“It’s alright.” Seren said shakily, her eyes wide.

“I can't help it.” Gwyneth explained desperately, afraid of what the woman may do to her. After all, it was 1869 and those who were different were never accepted. “Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it.”

“But it’s getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?” The Doctor’s voice came from behind them, making Gwyneth jump as Seren turned to look at him.

“All the time, sir.” Gwyneth replied quietly. She frowned, her expression pained. “Every night, voices in my head.”

“You grew up in Cardiff?” Seren asked her and getting a nod in reply.

“You grew up on top of the Rift.” The Doctor said and turned to Seren. “Just like you and Siwan.” He turned back to Gwyneth. “You're part of it. You're the key.”

“I’ve tried to make sense of it, sir.” Gwyneth said. “Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts.”

“Well, that should help. You can show us what to do.” The Doctor replied.

“What to do where, Doctor?” Seren asked with a frown.

“We're going to have a séance.” He informed them.

“Oh dear.” Seren muttered as they walked out of the pantry.

Several minutes later, they were all back in the living room, seated around the table.

“This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in Butetown. Come… we must all join hands.” Gwyneth said with a smile, holding her hands out.

“I can’t take part in this.” Dickens said, standing up from his seat between Seren and Gwyneth.

“Humbug? Come on, open mind.” The Doctor reminded the author.

“This is precisely the sort of heap mummery I strive to unmask.” Dickens retorted. “Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing.”

“Now don’t antagonize her.” The Doctor warned. “I love a happy medium.” He added with a smile to Gwyneth, who was sitting next to him.

“I can’t believe you just said that.” Seren said with a slight laugh, sitting beside Sneed.

“Come on, we might need you.” The Doctor told Dickens, who huffed and sat back down between Seren and Gwyneth.

“Good man.” The Doctor said to him, before turning to Gwyneth. “Now, Gwyneth… reach out.”

“Speak to us.” Gwyneth said. “Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden.”

They heard whispers around them.

“Can you hear that?” Seren asked, straining her ears.

“Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly.” Dickens insisted.

“Look at her.” Seren said, looking at the serving girl.

Gwyneth was rocking in her seat, looking at the ceiling.

“I see them.” She breathed, still looking up. “I feel them.”

They looked up as tendrils of gas began floating down above their heads.

“What’s it saying?” Seren asked.

“They can't get through the Rift.” The Doctor replied before turning to the medium. “Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through.”

“I can't!” she cried.

“Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth.” The Doctor told her firmly. “Make the link.”

Gwyneth closed her eyes concentrated.

“Yes.” She breathed, her eyes snapping open as several blue outlines of people appeared behind her.

Dickens stared at the outlines, his mouth dropping open in shock.

“Great God!” Sneed exclaimed, taking in the outlines. “Spirits from the other side!”

“Other side of the universe, you mean.” Seren said, glancing at him before looking back at Gwyneth.

_“Pity us. Pity the Gelth.”_ The vapored beings said in the voices of two children in unison with Gwyneth. _“There is so little time. Help us.”_

“What do you want us to do?” The Doctor asked calmly.

_“The Rift.”_ The Gelth and Gwyneth replied in unison. _“Take the girl to the Rift. Make the bridge.”_

“What for?” the Doctor asked with a frown.

_“We are so very few - the last of our kind. We face extinction.”_

“Why, what happened?” Seren asked concerned.

_“Once we had a physical form like you, but then the War came.” The_ Gelth explained.

“War? What war?” Dickens asked, speaking up for the first time since the Gelth appeared.

_“The Time War.”_ Seren and the Doctor exchanged looks, Seren’s sympathetic while the Doctor’s sad. “ _The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state.”_

“So that’s why you need the corpses.” The Doctor stated.

_“We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us.”_

“But we can’t.” Seren protested. “It isn’t right.”

“It could save -” the Time Lord started to say, turning to look at her.

“No. The dead are not theirs to use. If they really wanted to learn to live so badly they could do it on their planet. They could learn to adapt.” Seren said firmly. “Those things coming to Earth makes no sense unless they wanted to take it over using the dead to do it.”

_“Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth.”_

With their final plea, the Gelth disappeared back into the gas lamps as Gwyneth collapsed across the table.

“Gwyneth?” Seren called, standing up and walking over to the unconscious girl.

She helped the unconscious girl up from the table top and knelt next to her, checking her pulse.

“All true.” Dickens muttered faintly. “It’s all true.”

“She’s all right.” Seren said after a few seconds, standing up gracefully. “She’s just unconscious from the link.” She turned to Sneed, “Is there somewhere she can rest? Somewhere that I can still keep an eye on her?”

“A-aye miss.” Sneed stuttered, finding his voice. “There is the chaise longue by the wall.”

She nodded and turned to the Doctor. “ _C_ an you take her and put her on it so that she’ll be comfortable?”

The Doctor nodded and picked up the girl in his arms, carrying her to the chaise and laying her down on it. Seren sat on the edge of the chaise while she argued with the Doctor about using Gwyneth as the Gelth had asked. During the argument, Seren periodically checked on Gwyneth. It didn’t take very long before the young maid had gone from complete unconsciousness to a more sleeping state in indication that she would wake shortly, while the Doctor explained what had happened to Sneed and Dickens. Sneed, who had been standing as the Doctor explained, sat back down at the table, while Dickens went for a bottle of Sherry and poured himself a generous serving before taking a large sip as he stood by the fireplace.

A few minutes later, Gwyneth woke up with a confused look on her face.

“It’s alright.” Seren soothed, as the girl moved to sit up. “You just sleep.”

“But my angels, miss...” Gwyneth said weakly. “They came didn’t they? They need me?”

“They do need you, Gwyneth.” The Doctor agreed. “You're they're only chance of survival.”

“I've told you, leave her alone.” Seren snapped, turning and glaring at him. “She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles.” She took a goblet of water and handed it to Gwyneth. “Drink this.”

Gwyneth took small sips as the Doctor sighed, letting his head fall back against the wall.

“Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?” Sneed asked, still very confused.

“Aliens.”

“Like foreigners, you mean?” Sneed asked.

“Pretty foreign, yeah.” The Doctor said. “From up there.” He gestured upwards.

“Brecon?” Sneed asked in surprise, eyebrows raised.

“Close.” The Doctor said. “And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then, they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes.”

“Which is why they need the girl.” Dickens concluded.

“They’re not having her.” Seren growled before Dickens even finished his sentence.

“But she can help. Living on the Rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through.” The Doctor explained, trying to convince her that Gwyneth was the only one who can save the Gelth.

“Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers.” Dickens said, his expressions crossed between fascinated and incredulous as he moved to sit at the table.

“Good system.” The Doctor pointed out. “It might work.”

 “You can't let them run around inside of dead people.” Seren protested, standing up and walking over to the Doctor.

“Why not?” the Doctor asked. “It’s like recycling.”

“Seriously though, you can't.” Seren snapped.

“Seriously though, I can.” The Doctor snapped back.

“It's just wrong.” Seren protested passionately. “Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death.”

“Do you carry a donor card?” The Doctor asked, turning to face her as the rest of them watched the argument that was similar to the one that had occurred while Gwyneth was unconscious.

“No, I don’t.” Seren said angrily. “You want to know why? Because I can’t! And that’s completely different!”

“It is different, yeah. It’s a different morality.” The Doctor snapped at her with a growl. “Get used to it or go home.” Seren looked away with a sigh, bitter tears in her eyes. The Doctor sighed and put his hands on her shoulders, gently making her look at him. “You heard what they said.” he said softly. “Time is short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying.”

“I don’t care.” Seren said adamantly, shaking her head. “They’re not using her.”

“Don’t I get a say, miss?” Gwyneth asked her softly, sitting up on the chaise.

“Look…” Seren said, turning to look at the young girl. “You don’t understand what’s going on.”

“You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid.” Gwyneth said to her with a wry smile.

“That’s not true.” Seren replied, slightly affronted and shaking her head.

“Things might be very different where you're from,” Gwyneth said, looking at the brunette earnestly. “but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me.” She turned to the Doctor. “Doctor, what do I have to do?”

“You don't _have_ to do anything.” Seren told her gently, resigned to the fact that there was nothing else she could do.

“They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me.”

The Doctor smiled as Seren tightened her jaw in anger. She was getting a bad feeling that she couldn’t explain.

“We need to find the Rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other.” He walked towards the table were the two human men were sitting. “Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?”

“That would be the morgue.” Sneed replied after a few moments of consideration.

“No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?” Seren muttered just loud enough for the three men to hear as she sat beside Gwyneth on the chaise, making them look at her.

Not waiting any longer, they stood up and made their way to the basement morgue where the Rift was at its strongest point. Sneed opened the lock and stood back as they all walked in to the cold room, several recently deceased bodies lying on metal tables with white sheets covering them.

“Urgh. Talk about Bleak House.” The Doctor commented, taking in the room.

“The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed,” Seren said, coming to stand in front of him as he looked at her. “I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869.”

“Time's in flux, changing every second.” The Doctor told her. “Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that.” He snapped his fingers. “Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing.”

“Doctor, I think the room is getting colder.” Dickens said slowly.

They looked around and noticed the dropping temperature, as whispers became louder.

“Here they come.” The Doctor said, as a Gelth came out of a gas lamp and stood beneath a stone archway.

_“You've come to help.”_ The Gelth said in a child-like voice. _“Praise the Doctor. Praise him.”_

“Promise you won't hurt her.” Seren pleaded as the Gelth continued.

_“Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth.”_

The Doctor walked forwards, stopping directly in front of the Gelth.

“We'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?” The Doctor told the Gelth.

“My angels. I can help them live.” Gwyneth said.

“Okay, where's the weak point?” the Doctor asked, glancing at Gwyneth before looking back at the arch.

“Here, beneath the arch.”

”Beneath the arch.” Gwyneth repeated, moving to stand beneath the arch, the gaseous Gelth floating behind her.

“You don’t have to do this.” Seren pleaded with the girl one more time, standing in front of her and squeezing her hands.

“My angels.” Gwyneth said, putting her hands on Seren’s face.

_“Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!”_ The Gelth said as Seren stepped back from the archway.

“Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!” Gwyneth said, her gaze unfocused.

_“Bridgehead establishing.”_

“Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!”

“ _It is begun. The bridge is made.”_ Gwyneth opened her mouth with a gasp as a blue gaseous form came out. “ _She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend.”_ The Gelth said as the sweet blue apparition turned flaming red with sharp teeth, its voice hardening and deepening. _“The Gelth will come through in force.”_

“You said that you were few in number.” Dickens said, his hands clenched into fists.

_“A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses.”_ The Gelth said as the cadavers on the metal tables got up as they became possessed by the Gelth.

“Oh, Gwyneth… stop this!’ Sneed pleaded with an unresponsive Gwyneth who was standing beneath the arch in a wide-eyed daze. “Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you.”

“Mister Sneed, get back!” Seren, watching as Sneed tried pleading with the girl, called out in warning as a Gelth-possessed corpse grabbed him from behind.

The Doctor pulled Seren away from the zooming Gelth and Dickens stepped backwards in alarm. The possessed corpse snapped Sneed’s neck, and they watched in horror as a zooming Gelth inhabit his body through his mouth. Once the Gelth was inside him, the previous corpse moved back as Sneed raised his head and looked at them with blank ice-blue eyes.

“I think it’s gone a little bit wrong.” The Doctor pointed out obviously.

“Really, Doctor? You think?” Seren exclaimed looking at him incredulously.

“I have joined the legions of the Gelth.” Sneed said, his voice coming out as an echo. “Come, march with us.”

“No.” Dickens breathed in fear.

_“We need bodies. All of you... Dead. The human race…. Dead.”_ The Gelth said in unison as they slowly walked them.

“Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!” The Doctor called, Seren behind him, as they slowly walked backwards.

_“Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth.”_

The possessed Sneed backed the two time-travelers up against a metal gate.

“Doctor, I can't... I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so…” Dickens cried out in terror as the Doctor opened the metal gate and closed it, keeping the Gelth from being able to reach them.

_“Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth_.”  The possessed corpses reached their hands through the gate in an attempt to reach them, but they stepped back and out of their reach.

“I trusted you. I pitied you!” the Doctor told them angrily as Seren beside him clutched his arm tightly.

_“We don't want your pity. We want this world and all its flesh_.” The Gelth replied in unison.

“Not while I'm alive.” The Doctor growled.

_“Then live no more.”_

“I told you so!” Seren snapped at the Doctor, her anger momentarily overriding her fear.

“I am so sorry.” He said softly, looking at her with sorrow-filled eyes.

“It’s 1869. How can I die now?” Seren asked in confusion.

“Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape.” The Doctor explained. “You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here.”

“It's not your fault.” Seren said reassuringly. “I wanted to come.”

“What about me?” the Doctor pointed out. “I saw the Fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon… in Cardiff!” He trailed off in dismay.

“Hey! I grew up in Cardiff, remember? Don’t knock my city.” Seren reminded him, before she turned to look at the Gelth through the metal. “But, it's not just dying. We'll become one of them.” Seren thought about her sisters, her brother-in-law, her niece and nephew, the Tyler family, Mickey, and all her loved ones. There was no way she was going down without a fight. She looked up at him and said, determination written all over her face and in her voice. “We go down fighting, yeah?”

“Yeah.” The Doctor replied.

“Together?” Seren asked, linking her fingers with his.

“Yeah.” The Doctor said with a smile, before adding sincerely. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“Me, too.” Seren replied, looking up at him with a smile.

They turned to the gate, looking at the Gelth as Dickens ran in, a handkerchief held against his mouth and nose.

“Doctor!” he yelled. “Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!”

“What are you doing?” the Doctor asked with a frown, as he and Seren let go of each other’s hands.

“Turn it all on.” He ran to a lamp and turned off the flame. “Flood the place!”

“Brilliant. Gas.” The Doctor breathed, his eyes wide as he realized what Dickens’ was suggesting.

“What, so we choke to death instead?” Seren asked, incredulous.

“Am I correct, Doctor?” Dickens asked, turning off another lamp. “These creatures are gaseous.” He covered his mouth with the handkerchief again as gas began filling the room.

“I get it.” Seren breathed, understanding dawning on her face as the corpses left them and turned around. “Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air - like poison from a wound!”

“I hope… oh Lord.” Dickens breathed as the corpses began stumbling towards him. “I hope that this theory will be validated soon… if not immediately.”

“Plenty more!” The Doctor exclaimed as he ripped a gas pipe from the wall.

Almost immediately, the corpses went rigid as the Gelth left the corpses with high-pitched shrieks. As soon as the Gelth left them, the corpses collapsed on the ground in heaps.

“It’s working.” Dickens said as the Doctor and Seren left the alcove.

“Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels.” The Doctor said loudly to her.

“Liars?” Gwyneth asked in a dazed voice.

“Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same.” The Doctor said to her as Seren covered her face with her hand. “They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!”

“I can’t breathe.” Seren choked, her hand still on her mouth.

“Charles, get her out.” The Doctor told the author, who moved to take Seren’s arm.

“I’m not leaving her!” Seren cried, shaking Dickens’ arm off.

“They're too strong.” Gwyneth told them.

“Remember that world you saw? Seren's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift.” The Doctor said firmly, yet softly

“I can't send them back.” Gwyneth repeated through clenched teeth. “But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here.” She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a box of matches. “Get out.”

“You can't!” Seren cried out running to her, only to be held back by the Doctor.

“Leave this place!” Gwyneth demanded pleadingly.

“Seren, get out. Go now.” The Doctor told her as she continued to struggle against him. “I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!” he pushed her towards Dickens, who grabbed the brunette’s arms and pulled her out of the morgue.

“This way!” Dickens yelled, as they ran down the hallway coughing. They ran out of the house and into the cold night.

Behind them, the Doctor ran out of the house, flying across the street as the house exploded in flames. Seren and Dickens ran over to him as he stood up, brushing the debris off his hands and turned to look at the flaming house. He turned back to Seren, who looked at him with wide sad eyes as she took in the distinct lack of the servant girls’ presence.

“She didn’t make it.” Seren said softly, not as a question, but rather as a fact.

“I'm sorry. She closed the rift.” The Doctor said softly, sorrow in his voice as he looked at the blaze.

“At such a cost.” Dickens said, his voice equally soft as he looked at the blaze. “The poor child.”

“I did try, Seren, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes.” The Doctor explained softly.

“What do you mean?” Seren asked confused, looking at the alien as Dicken turned to look at them.

“I think she was dead from the moment she stood in that arch.” The Doctor admitted.

“But she can't have... She spoke to us.” Seren protested, “She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?”

“’There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ Even for you, Doctor.” Dickens said before the alien could reply to Seren’s question.

They turned back to watch the blazing house.

“She saved the world.” Seren said softly. “A servant girl. No one will ever know.”

“ _We_ will know.” The Doctor said softly, reaching out and taking Seren’s tiny hand in his larger one, squeezing it gently before putting his arm around her. They stood in silence for a few minutes before he said softly, “Come on, we should get going.”

Seren nodded and the group of three began walking down the street, the Doctor with his arm still around her. They walked in silence until they reached the TARDIS.

“Right then, Charlie boy,” the Doctor said, taking the key out of his pocket. “I've just got to go into my…” he gestured to the box. “er, shed. Won't be long.”

“What are you going to do know?” Seren asked Dickens as the Doctor looked at the two of them, the key in the slot.

“I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital.” He spoke with excitement, his eyes bright.

“You’ve cheered up.” The Doctor commented to him with a smile, stepping back from the TARDIS.

“Exceedingly!” Dickens agreed with a chuckle. “This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them.”

“Do you think that's wise?” Seren asked.

“I shall be subtle… at first.” Dickens reassured her. “‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. “The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals”. I can spread the word, tell the truth.”

“Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic.” The Doctor said, shaking the legendary author’s hand before turning back to the TARDIS and unlocking the door.

“Bye, then, and thanks.” Seren said, shaking the man’s hand as well before reaching out and kissing his cheek.

“Oh, my dear… How modern.” Dickens said bashfully, a slight blush grazing his cheeks at the brunette’s bold move. “Thank you, but, I don't understand… In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?”

“You’ll see. In the shed.” The Doctor replied, as he opened the door and moved to enter.

“Upon my soul, Doctor,” Dickens said, causing them to pause and look at him as he continued. “It’s one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this... Who are you?”

Seren looked at him, wondering what reply he would give him.

“Just a friend, passing through.” The Doctor replied with a smile after a moment’s pause.

“But you have such knowledge of future times…” Dickens said before continuing hesitantly, “I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books, Doctor… do they last?”

“Oh yes!” the Doctor replied with a bright smile.

“For how long?”

“Forever.” Seren said softly, with a gentle smile.

Dickens’ smiled at them, though they could see he didn’t entirely believe them but was grateful they had answered him.

“Right. Shed.” The Doctor said with a chuckle, gesturing with his thumb to their transport. “Come on, Seren.” He turned back to the TARDIS and opened the door as Seren moved to follow him.

“In the box? The both of you?” Dickens asked in incredulous surprise.

“Down boy.” Seren said with a smirk on her face.

“See you.” The Doctor said, entering the TARDIS, followed by the brunette woman.

“Doesn’t that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?” Seren asked, shutting the door behind her as the Doctor walked up to the console.

“In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story.” The Doctor replied as she removed her boots and walked over to him.

“Oh, no. He was so nice.” Seren said softly as the two of them watched Dickens on the monitor.

“But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life.” The Doctor reminded her gently. “And he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise.”

He pressed a few buttons on the console as they exchanged smiles. Outside, Dickens watched the TARDIS dematerialize with astonished eyes. He laughed with wondrous excitement and walked through the alley and to the main street.

He could hear a choir singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels’ as he walked, enjoying the cold night air.

“Merry Christmas, sir.” A man called to him.

“Merry Christmas to you.” Dickens’ replied joyously before crying out loudly. “God bless us, every one!”

_ Links: _

_*Seren dress, jewelry, hairstyle and shoes -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476788486/>_

_*Seren cloak -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/832603049833250622/>_


	5. Aliens of London

**Aliens of London**

The TARDIS materialized at the Powell Estate, and her two passengers went out in to the daylight. Seren was once again wearing her purple sleeveless blouse that matched her eyes, a blue denim knee-length skirt, purple 5” high heeled sandals, and a pair of silver and amethyst earrings with a matching bracelet on her right wrist* with her hair in a half-pony held by a matching purple ribbon. The Doctor was wearing his usual black trousers and leather jacket, with a dark navy-blue jumper.

He Doctor leaned against the TARDIS as Seren looked around the Estate.

“How long have I been gone?” she asked curiously, turning to look at him.

“About twelve hours.” The Doctor replied with a smile, crossing his arms and legs as Seren chuckled at the reply.

"So, my phone call with Siwan hasn't happened yet. Weird." Seren said quietly to herself before raising her voice and turning to the Time Lord. “Right, I won't be long.”I just want to see my sister, Aunt Jackie and Rose.”

“What are you going to tell them?” The Doctor asked curiously to her retreating back as she walked in the direction of the flats.

“I’m telling Siwan the truth, but Aunt Jackie and Rose? I don’t know.” Seren replied with a slight frown, glancing back at them as she stopped. “I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?” The Doctor snorted as she shook her head. “No, I'll just tell Aunt Jackie and Rose that I went out walking off some night-terrors. It has happened often enough it wouldn’t alarm them. See you later.” She waved at him and began walking before glancing back with a warning. “Oh, don't you disappear.”

She ran towards the flats as the Doctor walked around the small area while he waited for Seren. Entering the building, she ran up the stairs and entered her flat.

“I’m back!” she called out as she put her keys in the bowl on the table beside the door, knowing that Siwan would be either in school or at work. “I had night-terrors again, so I went out for a walk. Aunt Jackie, are you or Rose in?” Jackie came out of the kitchen holding a cup of tea, followed by Rose. Seeing them, Seren continued speaking with a smile on her face. “So, what's been going on? How've you been? Is Siwan in school or at work?” the two speechless blondes looked at her as though they had seen a ghost walk through their door. “What? What's those faces for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night.”

The mug slipped from Jackie’s trembling hands and smashed to the floor.

“It’s you.” Rose breathed, looking down at the smaller woman, her disbelieving expression mirrored by Jackie.

“Of course, it’s me.” Seren replied, completely confused.

“Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God.” Jackie cried as she hugged Seren tightly, Rose joining after a moment.

Seren managed to shift her head to the side so she wasn’t being smothered and noticed several types of Missing Persons flyers on the table, all saying ‘Where is Seren?’ with a photo of her smiling.

Before Seren could voice her confusion or shock at the sight of the posters, the Doctor came crashing in to the flat.

“It's not 12 hours, it's 12 months.” He said softly, as Rose and Jackie pulled away from Seren slightly and the three women looked at them. “You've been gone a whole year.” The Doctor gave an apologetic chuckle. “Sorry.”

Seren looked at him in shock as Jackie and Rose looked at her in astonishment. Soon enough, after Jackie changed out of her dressing gown into proper clothes, the astonishment gave way to fury as Jackie couldn’t get a straight response from her god-daughter about where she had been for the past year and phoned for a policeman.

“The hours we've sat here, days and weeks and months. We thought you were dead, Siwan nearly gave up her studies, and where were you? Travelling!” Jackie yelled at Seren, who was sitting on a sofa as the Doctor stood beside her. Rose was seated on the other sofa, quiet as her mother yelled at the brunette. “All we had was one phone call the day after Hendricks went up. And what the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer.” She turned to the policeman who was sitting on the other sofa. “You ask her. She won't tell me. That's all she says. Travelling.”

Jackie stood beside the policeman and crossed her arms as she started angrily at Seren.

“That's what I was doing.” Seren protested softly.

“When your passport’s still in the drawer?” Jackie yelled pointing towards the drawer she was referring to. “It's just one lie after another!”

“I meant to phone, I really did.” Seren said softly. “I just… I forgot.”

“What, for a year? You forgot for a year? You forgot to phone your sister for a whole year? And we’re left sitting here?” Jackie asked loudly, and began pacing. “I just don't believe you.” She turned to Seren and asked pleadingly, “Why won't you tell me where you've been?”

“Actually, it’s my fault.” The Doctor spoke up, making the policeman and Jackie turn to him and Serayah. “I sort of er, employed Seren as my Companion.” He gave the three humans a smile.

“When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?” the policeman asked, looking at the Doctor.

The Doctor and Seren looked at each other.

“No!” they said in unison.

“Then what is it?” she demanded angrily to him. “Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?”

“I _am_ a Doctor.” He insisted.

“Prove it.” She said. “Stitch this, mate!”

Jackie slapped him, hard, making him stumble backward with a groan as Seren rolled her eyes and held back the urge to laugh, knowing that this was not the time. Jackie slowly got her fury under control and grabbed the phone and walked the police officer out of the flat before making a call.

“Where is Siwan?” Seren asked Rose, who looked at her with a pained expression. “What did Aunt Jackie mean that Siwan nearly gave up her studies?”

“She’s in an exam right now.” Rose said softly after a moment. “When you disappeared and you didn’t come home for several days or answer your phone, we all became scared. As time passed, Siwan was having a hard time balancing work, school and the search for you. She was ready to quit work and school so that she could search for you full time.”

“What?” Seren looked completely shocked.

“The only reason she didn’t was because we convinced her that you would want her to continue with her studies, so she did. For your memory. but she never stopped searching, hoping for a sign that you were okay.” Rose sighed.

“Oh, my God.” Seren breathed, her eyes wide with what she had learned.

“Adam had been a big support for her, helping her get through the pain of the possibility of losing you.”

“Adam Pierson? The one who is completely in love with Siwan but she has no clue?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Rose said, nodding. “They’re dating now.”

“That’s good. He’s been in love with her for so long, it’s a surprise Siwan never noticed.” Seren as she stood up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

Leaning against the counter, she took small sips as she pondered on the news she had been given. She was joined by Rose, who was silent and staring at the older brunette with a mixed expression of wonder/ relief at her return and fear of her disappearing again.

Finally, Rose pulled Seren into a tight hug. They stayed in their embrace, with tears streaming down their faces, and were silent for several minutes until Jackie walked in.

“Rhiannon and Johnny are on their way back with the kids. They were just about to get on the A48 when I called and where able to turn around.” The older blonde woman said as the two girls broke apart slightly and looked at her. “I can’t get a hold of Siwan, but I left her a message so as soon as she’s done her exam she’ll be able to see it.” Jackie sighed and pulled Seren into a hug, Rose being pulled in as well since she still had her arms around the brunette.

“Did you think about us at all?” Rose asked, holding her best-friend tightly.

At Rose’s question, the tears that Jackie had been holding at bay through sheer force of will streamed down her face as she looked at her god-daughter.

“I did.” Seren said as the three of them separated from their hug. “All the time, but-”

“One phone call.” Jackie said. “Just to know that you were alive.”

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Seren said earnestly to them.

“Do you know, what terrifies me is that you still can't say.” Jackie admitted, cupping her face with both hands. “What happened to you, Seren? What can be so bad that you can't tell me, sweetheart? Where were you?”

Seren looked away, not knowing how to reply. If it were Siwan asking her, she would easily be able to say. But with Jackie and Rose, it was much more difficult as the two had a harder time being able to grasp the possibility of the weird and unexplainable.

After several more minutes of pleading by the blonde mother and daughter duo, resulting in no response, Seren went to her room. Rose and Jackie also left the kitchen, sending matching glares to the Doctor, who was now seated on the sofa as he waited for Seren to come out and tell him how she wanted to proceed. If she wanted to continue traveling with him or to stay with her family.

Seren emerged from her room, now dressed in a light brown single-sleeve top with a left ¾ sleeve, denim booty shorts, 5” high heeled peep-toe ankle boots and a gold 8-strand chain necklace around her neck*. She had braided the front part of her hair back into a crown, keeping it out of the way except for a few strands framing her face, with the rest tumbling down her back to her hips in loose curls*.

“I’m going up to the roof.” She called to Jackie and Rose, leaving the flat, followed by the Doctor.

The two walked up to the roof in silence and Seren perched on the wall as the Doctor leaned back against it, his arms folded.

“I can’t tell them.” Seren said after a few minutes of silence. “I mean, I can tell Siwan, she’ll be able to understand and grasp it, but Rose and Aunt Jackie? I can't even begin to explain it to the two of them. They’re never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?” she turned to the man next to her.

“Middling.” The Doctor replied shrugging.

“You’re so useless.” Seren said, sighing and shaking her head.

“Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?” he asked, looking at the brunette.

“I don't know.” Seren replied with a groan, looking at him. “I can't do that to them again, though.”

“Well, the two of them are not coming with us.” The Doctor said adamantly. “Your sister, maybe. But not Rose and Jackie.”

“No chance!” Seren said, as she burst out laughing. After the two of them calmed down, she said with a smirk, “She slapped you!”

“900 years of time and space, and I’ve never been slapped by someone's mother.” He told her indignantly.

“Your face!” Seren said with a wide smile.

“It hurt!” he pouted as he put a hand to his cheek.

“You're so gay.” Seren said with a chuckle, before turning to look at him. “When you say 900 years, you mean your age, yeah?”

“Yes.” He replied, nodding.

“Aunt Jackie was right. That is one hell of an age gap.” Seren commented as she looked away. She jumped of the ledge with a groan and changed topics. “Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. I mean, I can probably talk to Siwan or Rhiannon about it, if they don’t hate me for disappearing for a year, but at the same time, I don’t want to burden them with the knowledge. Not when Rhi has Johnny and the kids and Siwan could be happy living out a mortal life with a good person who will keep her happy.” Seren sighed and leaned against the railing across from the Doctor. “Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist.”

There is the sound of a deep horn and, turning to it, they see a spaceship trailing black smoke coming towards them. Seren and the Doctor crouched as the spaceship passed overhead, narrowly missing their heads and head for the city. The ship narrowly missed Tower Bridge, weaved around St. Paul, and then, with a nasty back-fire and splutter, took out a portion of Big Ben and dove for the Thames, crashing into the water with a splash.

They stood up in surprise, watching as a plume of black smoke rose into the air on the horizon.

“Oh, that’s just not fair.” Seren muttered with a shake of her head as the Doctor laughed, taking her hand and running towards the action.

On the street, it is complete mayhem. The army had closed off the roads. Much to the annoyance of the drivers as they stuck their heads out of their windows or got out of the cars. There were horns being honked and people yelling at the soldiers told irritated drivers to stay back.

The Doctor and Seren ran between the cars, coming to a stop not far from one of the army tanks and a pair of soldiers.

“It’s blocked off.” The Doctor pointed out as they came to a stop.

“We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down.” Seren added looking around, not even the slightest bit winded from the run despite wearing high heels.

“I know. I can't believe we’re here to see this.” The Doctor said excitedly, pulling her into a one-armed excited hug. “This is fantastic!”

“Did you know this was going to happen?” Seren asked, looking up at him with a slight frown.

“Nope.” He replied cheerfully.

“Do you recognise the ship?”

“Nope!”

“Do you know why it crashed?”

“Nope!” he grinned at her.

“Oh, I'm so glad I've got you.” She muttered sarcastically.

“I bet you are. This is what I travel for, Seren. To see history happening right in front of us.” The Doctor said passionately, completely missing the sarcasm, as he gestured to the chaos that surrounded them.

“Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS.” Seren said.

“Hmm, better not.” The Doctor declined. “They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. And we really don't want to shove another one on top.”

“Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice.” Seren pointed out, confused by the refusal.

“You'd be surprised.” He refuted. “Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is.”

“Good point.” She agreed before looking back at the gridlocked roads. “So, history's happening, and we're stuck here.”

“Yes, we are.” The Doctor nodded.

“We could always do what everybody else does.” Seren suggested, making him look at her questioningly. “We could watch it on TV.”

The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment and shrugged. The two of them ran back to the flat and Seren turned the TV on before sitting down on one sofa as the Doctor sat on another while they watched News 24 on scene.

_“Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene.”_

The two of them watched intently, the Doctor more so, as the newscaster appears on screen.

“ _The police are urging the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family.”_

The phone rang, and Rose got up to answer it. She looked as if she was trying to tell the person on the other end something but was cut off. A few seconds later, she hung up the phone.

“That was Siwan.” She told them. “She called to say that she was being called to the hospital since Adam has been called as well. She’ll try and come by in a little while, since she isn’t supposed to be at the hospital today anyway, but she can’t say for sure.”

“Did you tell her about me?” Seren asked, her emotions a cross between nervous and hopeful.

“I tried, but I couldn’t get a word in.” Rose replied, sitting back down on the sofa. “Things sounded pretty chaotic.”

Seren nodded in understanding as the Doctor changed it to a US news Channel, AMNN.

_“The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded.”_

He switched the channel back to News 24.

_“The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find.”_

Back to AMNN

_“The President will address the nation live from the White House, but the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies.”_

Jackie brought mugs of coffee and tea in to the living room for her friend Ru Chan, Rose and Seren, but not for the Doctor. She had decided to go for the ‘ignore him entirely’ approach.

Rhiannon and Johnny Davies, Seren’s sister and brother-in-law, already had cups of coffee in their hands. They had arrived just before the city went into lockdown and smothered Seren in tight hugs as soon as they saw her, reluctantly letting her go when breathing became an issue.

Rhiannon had the same dark hair as her sisters, though she kept hers short and reaching only until her shoulder-blades in gentle layered waves. She had blue eyes, though a more of an ocean blue-grey than the gem-colors that her sisters had. She stood at 5'3" and had an athletic figure, though her curves were slightly more rounded from child-birth, and she had a small amount of residual weight around her belly from her most recent pregnancy that she was still working off. 

“You’ve broken your god-mother’s heart. And both your sisters’ and your god-sister’s.” Ru Chan angrily scolded Seren, who sighed as she took a sip of tea.

David and Mica, Seren’s 6-year-old nephew and 1-year-old niece, were seated on the sofa, sandwiching Seren between them as they listened to the adults scold their beloved aunt for disappearing.

The two children had their father's blonde hair and their mother's ocean blue-grey eyes. They got a great deal of their personalities from their mother's side of the family - calm and rational even when the world goes to hell around them until some poor idiot really pisses them off at which point everyone in the vicinity finds places to hide - though the jovial and happy nature - finding joy and wonder in even the most smallest of things - mainly from their father's side.

“Either I make him welcome or I run the risk of never seeing you again.” Jackie commented, picking up the phone.

“I cradled them like children!” Ru exclaimed to Seren.

“Oi, I’m trying to listen!” The Doctor exclaimed to the two women ranting, who gave him nasty looks.

On the TV, News 24 cut to outside 10 Downing Street.

_“…His current whereabouts. News is just coming in. We can go to Tom at the Embankment.”_

The news cut to the Embankment.

_“They've found a body.”_

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as they watched the report.

_“It's unconfirmed, but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore.”_

The small gathering at the flat rapidly turned into a welcome home party for Seren, with wine being served.

The Doctor glanced at the growing crowd and shook their heads as they turned back to the TV, watching intently as Seren had a completely exasperated look on her face as friends and neighbours alternated between berating her for not telling anyone were she was and welcoming her back. She had moved from her seat on the sofa and perched on the arm of the Doctor’s seat as they watched the news coverage.

_“A body of some sort has been found inside the wreckage of the spacecraft.”_

“Oh, guess who asked me out.” Jackie called out, handing a bottle of wine to one of the guests and sitting down on the sofa next to Rose. “Billy Crewe.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow before shaking his head and turning back to the TV as Mica climbed onto his lap.

_“Brought to the nearest shore. Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary, the whereabouts is yet unknown. The roads in Central London are being…”_

The channel changed a few times before settling on Blue Peter.

_“And when you've stuck your fins on, you can cover the whole lot in buttercream.”_

Mica laughed as she wrestled the remote from the Doctor before it fell to the floor.

_“Oh, look at that. Then ice it any colour you want. Here's one I made a little bit earlier. And look at that, your very own spaceship ready to eat. And for something a little extra special…”_

The Doctor tightened his grip on the one-year-old before picking up the remote and turning it back to News 24, outside Albion Hospital.

_“Albion Hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river.”_

Mica hopped of the Doctor’s lap and stood in front of the TV, blocking the view.

“Go to the side.” The Doctor told her, pointing to the side. “Go on.”

Seren slapped his shoulder and hopped off the arm rest.

“Now, Mica, that’s not a very beautiful look on your face.” She commented as she crouched next to the now frowning child. “Let’s see if we can turn that frown,” she picked her up and flipped her upside down, holding her tightly by the legs and walking over to the side slightly so they were out of the way of the television. “Upside down!” she let out peals of laughter, joined by Seren’s own laughter. She turned her back right side up and hugged her tightly, a wide smile still on the little girl’s face. She had been so focused on the child, she missed the contemplating look on the Doctor’s face as he watched her. “Now there’s the beautiful smile I was looking for.” She said, pulling back from the hug as they sat back down, this time on the floor next to the Doctor’s legs.

“What did I miss?” she asked him quietly, seeing the news had switched back to Number 10.

“General Asquith is at the Hospital and the patients have been moved out to the streets.”

She nodded and turned back to the TV, Mica leaning against her side as he played with her long hair. The two were joined by David on her other side as he curled against her and watched the television.

 _“Mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the Prime Minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticising his lack of leadership, and... Hold on.”_ An official car pulled up in front of Number 10 and a portly man got up, briefly glancing at the media crowd before entering the building. _“Oh, that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now.”_

The chatter that filled the flat was suddenly brought to a halt as Siwan entered the flat, calling out her greetings. The beautiful Welshwoman stopped short, eyes wide behind her glasses, when she caught sight of Seren, who had stood up when she heard the younger woman’s voice.

“Seren?” Siwan whispered disbelievingly. Tears gathered in the corner of her large blue eyes as she looked at the slightly older woman. “Seren?”

“It’s me.” Seren said, tears filling her own expressive orbs as she moved to stand in front of her younger sister. “I’m home.”

“Oh, my God. It’s you.” Siwan dropped her bag as the two women hugged each other tightly. Rhiannon stood up from the sofa and joined the hug, while Johnny kept the kids from jumping on the three of them. “Where were you? Why didn’t you call? We were so worried.” Siwan fired rapid questions at her before a frown crossed her face and she turned to Jackie and Rose, “Why didn’t you tell me she was back?”

“Mum left you a message on your mobile and you didn’t give me a chance when you called earlier saying that you were going to the hospital for a bit.” Rose explained and Siwan nodded in understanding.

“Why don’t the three of you go into one of the rooms? Have a Jones sisters moment?” Johnny suggested. “Siwan, you would have some privacy if you want to yell at Seren for disappearing the way she did. Then Rose can join and you can have a Tyler/ Jones sisters moment.”

“That’s true. Come on.” Siwan said with a radiant smile. “We can talk in my room. I need to change.”

Seren nodded and the three sisters went into Siwan’s room. While Siwan changed out of her pant suit, Seren and Rhiannon sat on the bed as Seren told them everything that had occurred. She explained how, for her at least, it had only been a few days and not a year, and everything she had seen and experienced.

“Well, that does make sense.” Siwan said practically, coming out of her closet dressed in a light blue backless cowl-neck halter top that tied behind her neck, white slim-fit trousers with a brown belt and 5” high heeled open-toed sandals*. “I mean, there is no way you would go an entire year without calling or communicating in some way.”

“Especially not after what we had been through.” Rhiannon added.

“So, you’re not mad?” Seren asked cautiously.

“Oh, we’re furious.” Siwan said as she sat at her vanity, took off her glasses and began combing out her hair, which had been up in a French twist. She decided to leave it open, parted in the middle, with the loose curls tumbling down her lower back to her hips.

“But we do understand that it wasn’t your fault for returning a year late.” Rhiannon said. She frowned and turned to look at the middle sister. “Have you told Rose and Aunt Jackie about where you have been?”

“Are you nuts?” Seren exclaimed, looking at the older woman incredulously. “They’d never be able to handle it!”

“Good point.” Rhiannon let out a sigh. “Would it be okay if I told Johnny?”

“Sure.” Seren said with a smile. “Just as long as you stress that he can’t tell anyone. I know that we’ve got history occurring right now, but I don’t want anyone to know that I travel through time and space with a mad man in his bigger on the inside blue box.”

Rhiannon agreed with a smile as Siwan came and sat on the bed next to them, putting her glasses back on her face.

“So, how are things between you and Adam?” Rhiannon asked, looking at Siwan.

“Yeah, Rose had mentioned that the two of you were dating.” Seren said, looking at her younger sister.

“They’re good.” Siwan replied, a slight blush covering her high cheekbones.

Rhiannon and Seren looked at each other and proceeded to grill the woman on her relationship with the handsome mild-mannered doctor. They were joined by Rose a short while later, and it was as if the past year never happened as they grilled Siwan on her love life.

Several hours later, it was dark when the Doctor slipped out of the now overly-crowded flat and walked toward the staircase. Seren, seeing him leave, ran out after him.

“And where do you think you are going?” she asked, making him turn to look at her.

“Nowhere.” The Doctor replied with a shrug. “It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I’m going off on a wander, that's all.”

“Right - there's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering.” Seren said, looking at him disbelievingly.

“Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything. It's perfect.” The Doctor said to her earnestly.

“So…?”

“So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. We’re not interfering ‘cause you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand!” The Doctor said with a chuckle, making Seren laugh as well. “You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your sisters. And you can tell me whether you want to continue traveling with me or not.”

He turned to leave.

“Promise you won't disappear?” Seren asked, making him stop and look at her.

The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

“Tell you what.” he said, rummaging through his jacket pocket and pulling out a key, “TARDIS key.” He handed it to her with a smile. “It’s about time you had one.” He tuned and began walking away. “See you later!”

Seren smiled at his retreating back, holding the key in her hand. She turned and headed back into the flat with a smile on her face.

Inside, she sat on the sofa with Siwan perched on one arm-rest and Mica curled on her lap, slowly dozing off.

“Here’s to the Martians!” Jackie said cheerfully, holding up her wine glass in a toast.

“The Martians!” everyone, except for Seren and Siwan, cheered.

“I should go and see Mickey.” Seren said quietly to Siwan, who nodded as the older woman moved to stand up.

The laughter, which had accompanied the cheer, stopped abruptly as all eyes fell on Mickey as he entered the flat, wide-eyed and slack-jawed as his gaze fell on Seren.

_“Crisis, with no head of state. Since the Royal Family have been evacuated.”_

The television, which was still on, was the only sound in the flat for several moments as Mickey and Seren looked at each other, the rest staring between the two best friends. The question running through everyone’s minds was ‘will the two be able to mend their friendship, considering what had occurred during the past year? What Mickey had endured during the past year?’

“I was just about to come and see you.” Seren said softly, breaking the silence as she stood up and handed Mica to Siwan.

“Someone owes Mickey an apology.” Ru said.

“You’re right, Ru.” Seren told the older Asian woman before turning to Mickey. “Mickey, I’m so sorry.”

“Not you.” Ru told the apologetic traveller and turned to Rose and Jackie, looking at them pointedly.

Seren looked confused as Jackie and Rose looked around at the expectant guests in the flat.

“Well, it’s not our fault.” Jackie said defensively. “Be fair. What were we supposed to think?”

Jackie gave Mickey an unpleasant look and turned, walking into the kitchen followed by Rose. Seren looked between Mickey and the doorway her god-mother and god-sister went through, completely confused.

 _“Designate, though she insists this was a matter for the electorate.”_ In the near silence of the sitting room, they could hear the newscaster giving his report, though no one was really paying much attention to it.

“Go on.” Rhiannon said quietly to Mickey and Seren, gesturing to the kitchen and taking Mica from Siwan. “Go in and explain what happened.”

Seren nodded as she, Siwan and Kickey went into the kitchen. The chatter slowly resumed as Jackie sat on the chair, Rose leaned back against the wall next to her and Seren and Siwan leaned against the counter.

“You disappear, who do they turn to? Your best friend.” Mickey ranted, turning to Seren. “Five times I was taken in for questioning. Five times.” He held up his hand, holding out all five fingers in emphasis. “No evidence. Course! There couldn't be, could there? And then I get her and even my own girlfriend, your god-mother and god-sister,” he pointed to the two as they rolled their eyes and Seren looked at them in shock. “whispering around the Estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letterbox, and all 'cos of you.” He pointed to her angrily. “You know what? The only person who believed me was Siwan. And Rhi, to an extent. When Jackie asked them why they didn’t blame me, you know what they said? Rhi said that she lived in Wales and didn’t know everything that had happened, so she couldn’t form an opinion. Siwan said that she knew I would never do anything to hurt you or Siwan.” He turned and walked to the other side of the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.” Seren said quietly, feeling terrible for having caused him so much pain. “I didn’t think I would be gone for so long.”

“And I waited for you, Seren!” he cried out, turning and walking back to her. “Twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back!” He looked at her, dead straight in the eyes as he spoke.

“Hold on!” Jackie said, looking at Mickey. “You knew about the Doctor? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Mickey said as he noticed someone trying to listen in through the serving hatch. He closed the shutters and the door as he continued to speak. “Why not, Seren? Huh? How could I tell them where you went?”

“Tell us now.” Jackie ordered, looking between Mickey and Seren.

“I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here.” Mickey said, shrugging. “The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away.”

“What do you mean?” Seren asked with a frown, her heart pounding.

“He's left you! Some boyfriend he turned out to be.” Mickey replied.

Seren looked at him for a heart beat before rushing out of the kitchen, grabbing her brown drawstring bag from beside the door and running out of the flat.  Seren was followed out of the flat by Rose, Mickey and Siwan, who had grabbed her dark brown purse before running out of the flat after her sister. Jackie watched the four leave and crossed her arms in frustration, not sure what to do.

“Ay! Where you goin’?” Johnny yelled to Siwan’s retreating back, seeing the small group run out of the flat in a hurry.

“No idea!” Siwan yelled back. “Keep everyone entertained, we’ll be back in a bit!”

Johnny shrugged and went back inside, muttering about ‘crazy Jones sisters’ under his breath.

The four of them arrived in the space where the TARDIS had been parked several hours earlier.

“He wouldn't just go, he promised me.” Seren insisted as she looked around.

“Oh, he's dumped you, Seren. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it.” Mickey said snidely, still upset about the occurrences of the past year.

“He would have said something to me.” Seren said, whirling around to look at the taller man as Jackie walked up to them.

“What're you chimps going on about? What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?” Jackie asked with a frown, looking between the two.

Siwan and Rose just watched the interaction.

“He’s vamoosed.” Mickey said, chortling.

“He's not, because he gave me this.” Seren said angrily, holding up the TARDIS key. Mickey looked at her and shrugged in response as she continued, “He's not my boyfriend, Mickey. He's better than that. He's much more important. And he-” Seren cut herself off as the key began to glow and she heard the faint sound of engines whirring.

“What’s that sound?” Siwan asked, looking around completely alert.

“I said so.” Seren told Mickey before turning to Jackie and Rose. “Aunt Jackie? Aunt Jackie, you and Rose, go inside! Aunt Jackie, Rose, don't stand there, just go inside.” As Seren gently pushed them towards the building, they stared over her shoulder utterly transfixed. “Just… Aunt Jackie, Rose!” the whirring got louder as Seren turned and watched the TARDIS begin to materialize. “Oh, blimey.”

 “Wow.” Siwan breathed, staring mesmerized at the materializing blue box.

“Huh?” Mickey pointed meaningfully at the TARDIS, now fully materialized in the spot it had been in.

“How’d you do that, then?” Rose asked wide-eyed as she nodded her head to the blue box.

Seren looked between the two blondes and bit her lip, not sure how to reply. After a few moments of trying to find a way to explain, she gave up and went to the TARDIS, walking in. The Doctor was looking at the monitor with his back to her.

“Alright, so I lied.” The Doctor said, glancing at Seren before turning back to the screen. “I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben.” He scoffed. “Come on, so I thought let's go and have a look…”

“Aunt Jackie and Rose are here. And so is Siwan.” Seren interrupted him, making him groan.

At the sound of the door closing, the two turned and saw Mickey, Rose, Jackie and Siwan walking up the ramp of the TARDIS. Rose and Jackie had their hands over their mouths in shock as Siwan looked around in wonder.

“Oh, that's _just_ what I need.” He said exasperatedly before adding warningly, “Don't you dare make this place domestic.”

“You ruined my life, Doctor.” Mickey said angrily, casing the alien to spin around and look at him. “They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you.”

“See what I mean?” The Doctor asked, spinning around to face Seren. “Domestic!” he turned back to the monitor.

“I bet you don't even remember my name!” Mickey shouted.

“Ricky.” The Doctor replied, turning to look at him.

“It’s Mickey.” Mickey ground out.

“No, it's Ricky.”

“I think I know my own name.”

“You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?”

Rose and Jackie, who had been looking around the TARDIS with bewildered expressions on their faces, turned and ran out of the TARDIS.

“Aunt Jackie, Rose, don’t!” Seren yelled out to them, before turning to the Doctor, “Don’t go anywhere.” She turned to Mickey, “Don’t start a fight!” she turned to Siwan, “Keep an eye on them!” She ran out after the two blondes, yelling "Aunt Jackie, Rose, it's not like that! He's not…” seeing their retreating backs, Seren sighed, muttering, “Oh, never mind!" before running back into the TARDIS and coming up to the console. “That was a real spaceship?”

“Yes.” The Doctor replied, as they turned back to the monitor with Mickey behind them.

“So it was all a pack of lies?” Seren asked with a frown. “What is it, then? Are they invading?”

“Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert.” Mickey pointed out off-handed.

“Good point!” the Doctor exclaimed mildly impressed, glancing at Mickey before turning back to the monitor. “So, what're they up to?”

A short while later, the Doctor was under the console, fiddling with the controls as Mickey watched while Seren and Siwan sat on the railing, talking quietly, mostly Siwan comforting Seren who was torn between staying with them and going travelling with the Doctor.

“So, what're you doing down there?” Mickey asked the Doctor, looking down at the alien beneath the console.

“Ricky.” The Doctor corrected around the screwdriver clenched between his teeth.

“Mickey.” Mickey insisted.

“Rickey.” The Doctor said, taking the screwdriver out of his mouth and holding it in his hand. “If I were to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?”

“I suppose not.” Mickey replied with a shrug.

Seren had to agree with ‘the magnificent time ship’ comment. The TARDIS truly was remarkable and beautiful. The TARDIS hummed a joyous tune, causing the two sisters to look up at the ceiling.

“He does have a point.” Siwan whispered quietly to Seren. At the questioning look, she elaborated, “She truly is a magnificent ship. And the humming is beautiful.”

“You can hear her humming?” Seren asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Can’t you?”

“Yeah, I can. It’s just that the Doctor said that it’s pretty rare for that to happen.”

“Well, I guess we’re just extraordinary then.” Siwan said with a smirk, nudging Seren lightly as the two laughed lightly and turned back to Mickey and the Doctor’s bickering.

The two sisters looked at each other and sighed, getting up and walking to the consol.

“Well, shut it, then.” He snapped at the human.

 “Some friend you've got.” Mickey muttered to Seren, who looked at him sadly. Siwan crouched next to the Doctor, watching as he fiddled with the controls to give her sister and Mickey some privacy

“He's winding you up.” The brunette replied softly. She looked at him and said sincerely, “I am sorry.”

“Okay.”

“I am though.” Seren insisted.

“Every day, I looked.” Mickey told her softly, pain in his voice at what he had been through in the past year. “On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year.”

“It’s only been a few days for me. I don't know. It's… it's hard to tell linear time in here but I swear it's just a few days since I left you.” Seren said pleadingly.

“Not enough time to miss me, then?” Mickey asked her after a moment’s pause.

“I did miss you.” Seren replied with a small smile.

“I missed you.” Mickey said with a smile.

“So, um, you and Rose have obviously broken up. In twelve months, have you been seeing anyone else?” Seren asked, attempting to change the subject.

“No.” Mickey replied immediately, his face falling.

“Okay.” Seren said slowly with a slight smile.

“Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you.” He continued.

“Right.” She said slowly, regretting the topic she chose.

“So… now that you’ve come back… are you gonna stay?” Mickey asked.

Seren bit her lip, not sure what to say in response. The sound of sparks flying broke the tense moment between them as the Doctor stood up.

“Got it! Ha, ha!” he exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the monitor, Siwan on his other side. Seren joined them as the Doctor explained what he had done. “Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go.” He pointed to the monitor. “Hold on.” He hit the monitor. “Come on!” he pointed to the screen as the two women looked at it. “That’s the spaceship on its way to Earth. See?” they nodded. “Except... Hold on.” They waited a few seconds as the monitor showed them the data. “See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed.”

“That would mean it came from Earth in the first place.” Siwan pointed out, frowning as the Doctor looked at her in surprise.

“Exactly.” He said. “It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while.”

“Question is, what have they been doing?” Seren asked earning nods from the Doctor and her sister.

The Doctor began channel-hopping on the scanner as Seren and Siwan watched the screen.

“How many channels do you get?” Mickey asked, looking over their shoulders.

“All the basic packages.” The Doctor replied, straightening up and crossing his arms as Seren continued flipping the channels.

“You get sports channels?” Mickey asked, looking at the alien with wide eyes.

“Yes, I get the football.” The Doctor replied, turning back to the screen. “Hold on, I know that lot.”

Seren and Siwan looked at the screen as well before exchanging looks.

 _“It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space.”_ The female newscaster said.

“UNIT.” Seren said.

“Unified Intelligence Task Force.” Siwan continued.

“Good people.” The Doctor agreed before looking at the twins. “How do you know them?”

“Our father worked for UNIT.” Seren replied. “You?”

“He's worked for them.” Mickey said, causing the three of them to look at him in surprise. “Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you! He pointed to the alien. “You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead.”

“That's nice. Good boy, Ricky.” The Doctor said sarcastically.

Seren let out a breath, completely fed up with Mickey’s attitude.

“He’s a hero, Mickey.” Siwan snapped before Seren could say anything. At the comment, the three looked at her. “And being a hero, you will always have one true companion. Death. How is the list of the dead that follow his name any different from Adam, who is a doctor? From Tad, who worked with UNIT? From Seren and myself, who worked in the medical field? From every single fireman, police officer, rescue worker who have a list of the dead alongside the list of the saved. Sometimes the list of the dead is longer than the one of the saved. And sometimes... sometimes, there is no list of the saved, only the dead because there are times, nobody lives.” Mickey looked appropriately chastised as Siwan berated him. “I understand how difficult this past year has been for you. Believe me, I do. But that doesn’t make it okay for you to make such underhanded and snide comments about the Doctor. Actually, it doesn’t give you the right to make such comments about any one.”

As Siwan took a breath, Seren put a calming hand on her sister’s shoulder and turned to the Doctor. He was staring at the younger twin with a look akin to respect in his eyes.

“Okay, the three of us know them. You more than Siwan and I. So why don’t we go and help?” Seren asked, looking at the Doctor.

“They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days.” The Doctor replied, shaking his head and walking around the console, pressing buttons. “Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens.” He pointed to himself as he added, “We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight.” He walked towards the door as he said, “Ricky! You've got a car. You can do some driving.”

“Where to?” Mickey asked as the three humans followed the Doctor, Seren and Siwan pausing long enough to grab their purses and sling them over their shoulders.

“The roads are clearing.” He replied, opening the TARDIS door. “Let’s go and have a look at that spaceship.”

The four walked out of the TARDIS and into a helicopter spotlight.

“Do not move! Step away from the box! Raise your hands above your heads!” a man yelled through a bullhorn.

Police cars and Saxon armored personnel carriers surrounded them. The soldiers surrounded them, weapons armed and ready. Mickey, terrified, ran away as Jackie and Rose ran out of the block of flats.

“Seren! Siwan!” Jackie yelled as a soldier grabbed her.

“Seren! Siwan!” Rose yelled as well, as she was grabbed and held back as well.

The noise of the sirens and the helicopter drowned out the sound of the mother and daughter duo yelling for the sisters.

“Raise your hands above your heads! You are under arrest!” the man said through the bullhorn.

The Doctor, Seren and Siwan looked at each other and shrugged, raising their hands as ordered.

“Take me to your leader!” the Doctor said cheerfully, a wide grin on his face.

Seren and Siwan face-palmed.

“Those are my god-daughters!” Jackie yelled at the soldiers holding her back.

“Let me go!” Rose yelled. “Those are my god-sisters!”

The Doctor, Seren and Siwan were lead to a police car.

“Okay, getting arrested isn’t exactly undercover.” Siwan said as they sat inside, and the doors were shut.

Siwan and the Doctor were sitting by the doors with Seren in the middle.

“We’re not being arrested. We’re being escorted.” The Doctor said, the grin still firmly in place.

“To Downing Street?” Seren asked in surprise and getting a nod in response from Siwan and the Doctor as the two laughed. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not!”

“10 Downing Street?”

“That’s the one.” Siwan said with a smile.

“Oh, my God. I’m going to 10 Downing Street?” Seren asked, squealing slightly in excitement before it faded, and she frowned. “How come?”

“I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, um, noticed.” The Doctor told them, slightly sheepish.

“Now they need you?” Seren asked.

“Like it said on the news. They’re gathering experts in alien knowledge.” The Doctor said. “And who’s the biggest expert of the lot?” he looked at the two women with a smile.

“Patrick Moore?” Siwan said innocently, smiling radiantly at the man.

“Apart from him.” The Doctor said with a mock glare at her.

“Oh, don’t you just love it.” Seren teased him, an equally radiant smile on her face.

“I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table.” The Doctor said. “Who's the Prime Minister now?

“How should I know?” Seren asked as she leaned her head back against the head rest. “I’ve missed a year.”

Before Siwan could reply to the question, they pulled up to 10 Downing Street and the doors were opened. The Doctor got out from his side and waved for the cameras and Seren and Siwan got out from the other door.

“Oh, my God.” Seren breathed, looking around in amazement as Siwan gently nudged her towards the building.

They entered the building and were led into the waiting room, filled with experts who were mingling and talking with each other. Seren and Siwan earned a few strange looks due to their attire, but they just shrugged them off. It’s not like they were expecting to end up in Downing Street when they were getting dressed.

A young man entered the room and called out in a loud voice, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times.” As he spoke, he walked towards the Doctor and the two sisters. His ID card stated his name was Indra Ganesh. He handed an ID card to the Doctor as he spoke to them. “Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your Companion and Siwan don't have clearance.”

“I don’t go anywhere without Seren. And she isn’t going anywhere without Siwan.” The Doctor said firmly as he put the card around his neck.

“You're the code nine, not either of them.” Ganesh said regretfully. “I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside.”

“They’re staying with me.” The Doctor said firmly.

“Look, I know Siwan Jones has been here before, on multiple occasions, but right now, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact.” Ganesh told them firmly.

“It’s alright.” Seren said softly.

“You go.” Siwan added. “We’ll be fine.”

“Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?” a woman asked the Doctor, coming up to them.

“Sure?” The Doctor asked the two.

“Not now. We’re busy.” Ganesh groaned when he saw her. “Can’t you go home?”

“I just need a word in private.” She said.

“I suppose so.” The Doctor said to the twins, not paying attention to Ganesh or the woman he was talking to. “Don’t get into any trouble.”

Seren and Siwan gave identical ‘Who? Us?’ smiles as he turned and left, going into the Cabinet Room with the other experts.

“You haven’t got clearance. Now leave.” Ganesh snapped to the woman before turning to the twins and guiding them away. “I’m sorry Siwan, but this time, I’m going to have to leave you both with security.”

“It’s all right. I’ll look after them. Let me be of some use.” The woman said to Ganesh with a smile as they turned to look at her. At Ganesh’s nod of agreement, she gestured for the twins to walk with her. She turned to the sisters and said quietly, “Walk with me. Just keep walking.” They walked passed the guards at the door. “That’s right.” as Seren looked around, she added, “Don’t look around!”

“MP Jones, what’s going on?” Siwan asked as they walked through the hall.

“You know her?” Seren whispered.

“Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North.” Harriet said, flashing her ID card at Seren.

They stopped in a corner by the staircase.

“This friend of yours.” She started, looking desperate and scared, turning to the twins. “He’s an expert. Is that right? He knows…” her voice cracked. “He knows about aliens?”

Seren and Siwan exchanged looks and turned to the older woman.

“Why do you want to know?” Seren asked, curious yet cautious.

Harriet opened her mouth to reply but broke down crying instead. Seren and Siwan exchanged looks and put their arms around the distraught woman.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, MP Jones.” Seren said soothingly, grateful for the experience she had working in hospitals in high school.

“Just take a deep breath.” Siwan said, in just as soothing a tone as her twin. Harriet slowly calmed down, taking deep, gasping breathes. “That’s it. Deep breathes.”

Once the older woman calmed down slightly, she spoke.

“Thank you. Come with me. This is important.” She led them into the Cabinet Room and took out a body that looked like a suit. She put the bodysuit over a chair and looked at the twins. "They turned the body into a suit! A disguise for the thing inside!"

She burst into tears once again, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed.

“It’s all right. We believe you.” Seren said gently, putting a hand on the older woman’s shoulder. “It’s alien.”

“They must have some serious technology behind this.” Siwan added as she began searching the room, trying to open drawers and cabinets. “if we could find it, we could use it.” She went to a closet and opened it, only for a body to fall out onto the floor.

“Oh, my God.” Seren cried as she and Harriet ran over to the body and Siwan turned it over. “Is that…”

Siwan knelt beside the body and checked for a pulse as Ganesh entered the room.

“Harriet, for God’s sake!” he cried exasperatedly. “This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander-” he stopped short as he saw the three women around the body. “Oh, my God! That’s the-”

“Prime Minister.” Siwan finished the sentence and looked up at him. “He’s dead. I’ve already checked for vitals, there aren’t any.”

“Oh.” Came a sickly-sweet voice from the door, causing them to look at the over-weight woman. “Has someone been naughty?”

She entered the room and closed the door behind her as the three women and one man looked at her.

“But that’s not possible. He left this afternoon.” Ganesh said in denial. “The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!”

“And who told you that, Indra?” Siwan asked him, comprehension beginning to dawn on her face.

“Me.” The woman replied, walking forward towards them and removing her purse before reaching up for her hairline.

She unzipped her forehead and the room filled with blue light as a large green alien wriggled out of the suit. As soon as the alien was free of the confining suit, she flexed her three long fingers in relief.

With a roar, she reached out to grab Ganesh, who was frozen and staring at the alien in shock.

_ Links: _

_*Seren outfit when returning to Earth (same as chapter 1 and 2) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879475865903/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879475865903/)

_*Seren outfit and accessories -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478222111/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478222111/)

_*Seren hair -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476989471/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476989471/)

_*Siwan outfit -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/423901383648720376/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/423901383648720376/)


	6. World War Three

**World War Three**  

Without thinking twice, Siwan grabbed Ganesh and pulled him to the ground, out of the way of the elongated arm. Before the alien could reach out for them again, its body is covered with electrical currents.

Siwan and Ganesh slowly stood up and exchanging looks with Seren and Harriet as the alien roared in anger and pain.

“Indra, right?” Seren asked, looking at him.

He nodded, still looking slightly faint.

“Well, Indra, run.” The time-travelling brunette said and the four ran out of the room, Siwan holding Ganesh’s hand while Seren held Harriet’s hand. The three women had their free hands holding their purses in place on their shoulders.

They ran down the corridor.

“No, wait. Stop.” Harriet cried, making them stop and look at her. “They’re still in there!” At the confused expressions on the three younger faces, she elaborated, “The Emergency protocols!” she turned and ran back in the direction of the Cabinet Room.

“We’re going to need those.” Siwan said as they followed Harriet ran back towards the Cabinet Room.

They were stopped short in the doorway of the room by the large green alien; the electrical current having disappeared leaving a furious alien. With a slight scream, the four of them changed direction and ran back out of the room. The next several minutes were spent with the alien chasing the four humans through a series of rooms, smashing through the oak doors that they had closed behind them.

“Honestly, would it be that difficult to just open the doors instead of smash through them?” Siwan muttered as the alien smashed through yet another door to get to them.

“Apparently, it would.” Seren replied as she tugged against a locked door.

Behind them, the lift made a ‘Ding’ sound and the doors opened, revealing a grinning Doctor.

“Hello!” he said cheerfully, momentarily distracting the alien, allowing the four humans to sneak past behind it into an open room.

Inside the Sitting Room was a large settee, a large drinks cabinet and a folding screen by the window to keep out the draughts.

“Hide!” Seren said as she and Siwan dove behind the cabinet, Ganesh hid behind the settee and Harriet hid behind the screen.

The alien entered the room seconds after they hid themselves.

“Ooh, such fun.” It coed playfully. “Little human children, where are you? Sweet little human-kins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips.”

Siwan rummaged through her purse and pulled out her compact Bo-staffs, eternally grateful that Adam’s friend, the Highlander Duncan McCleod, had taught her and Seren how to use them. Seren pulled out her own pair of Bo-staffs before bolting from her spot behind the cabinet and hiding behind the window’s drawn curtains, her heart racing as adrenalin pumped through her body.

Two more aliens entered the sitting room, making the first turn to them.

“My brothers.” It said, with a happy tone in its voice.

“Happy hunting?” one asked, this one speaking in a slightly deeper voice indicating it was likely male-gendered.

“It’s wonderful.” The one that launched the initial pursuit, the female, replied in an excited tone, dripping with anticipation. “The more you prolong it, the more they stink.”

“Sweat and fear!” The third alien, this one also male, commented.

“I can smell an old girl.” The first male said, taking a deep breath and smelling the different scents. “Stale perfume and brittle bones.”

At the comment, Harriet’s mouth dropped in offense.

“And three ripe youngsters, all hormones and adrenaline.” The female added as she moved around the room, sniffing out the terrified humans. “Fresh enough to bend before they snap.”

The female alien pulled back the curtain Seren was hiding behind, surprising the time-travelling woman. Seren overcame her surprise less than a second later as she extended her Bo Staffs behind her back, ready to use them. With a move quick as lightening, Seren moved her arm in front of her and slammed the staff against her opponent’s upper arm.

The sudden attack surprised the alien, making her stumble to the side, away from where Harriet was hiding, as Seren stepped forward and held her staffs out in front of her. The blow, combined with the surprise of being attacked by a human, was enough to disorient her.

The two male aliens screamed in anger and ran towards Seren, prompting Siwan to move out of her hiding place, extend her own Staffs, and use them to distract one of them. The third continued towards Seren, furious at the attack on his sister.

The female, overcoming the surprise and disorientation, also began advancing on Seren, fury rolling off her in waves.

Harriet, unwilling to let the two innocent sisters get hurt, jumped out from behind the screen.

“No!” she screamed, her hands in the air as the three aliens, and the three humans, turned to her. “Take me first! Take me!”

Ganesh, inspired by the bravery shown by the two tiny women, stood up as well, though still standing behind the settee.

“No!” he screamed. “Me! Take me first!”

The three aliens looked between the older woman and the young man, momentarily stunned at the strange actions. In all their hunts, they had never received this sort of reaction. Their prey fighting back and arguing over who gets taken first in order to protect each other.

Unfortunately, their momentary hesitation cost them. The Doctor burst into the room, carrying a fire extinguisher, primed and ready to be fired. The Time Lord looked surprised when he took in the sight of his Companion holding her Bo Staffs out in front of her, Siwan in an identical position a little further away with an older woman and Ganesh standing with their arms in the air. The room’s seven occupants turned and looked at him as he shook of his surprise and sprayed the male alien closest to him with the Carbon Dioxide.

“Out, with me!” he yelled to the four humans.

Harriet and Ganesh needed no prompting and ran towards him, coming to stand on either side of him.

“Who the hell are you?” The Doctor asked Harriet, looking at her in confusion as the twins paused in their sprint long enough to hit two of the aliens’ arms that were outstretched towards the two women.

The blows didn’t do much, as the skin was quite thick, but it did serve to stun them once again, long enough for the sisters to run towards their friends. They came to a stop on either side of the Doctor, Seren standing in front of Ganesh while Siwan stood in front of Harriet.

“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North.” Harriet replied briskly.

“Nice to meet you.” The Doctor said with a smile.

“Likewise.” Harriet responded as they turned back to the three aliens in front of them.

The Doctor sprayed the Carbon Dioxide on the aliens once again, this time using up the canister’s entire contents. Hearing it splutter, he shook it before shrugging and tossing it to the aliens before running out of the room, followed by the four humans. Seren and Siwan retracted their Bo Staffs as they ran, putting them back in their purses.

“We need to head to the Cabinet Room.” The Doctor told them as they ran down the corridor, the Time Lord in front, followed by Harriet, the twins side-by-side and Ganesh bringing up the rear.

“The Emergency Protocols are in there.” Harriet told him. “They give instructions for aliens.”

“Harriet Jones, I like you.” The Doctor said with a wide smile.

“And I like you too.” Harriet replied with a smile.

Seen and Siwan rolled their eyes, letting out identical groans at the by-play between the two.

“Now is not the time to be flirting, you two!” they yelled in unison as the aliens chased them through corridors and rooms, very reminiscent of a short while earlier.

They ran to the Cabinet Room; the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to unlock and open the door. They ran inside, Harriet grabbing the Emergency protocols and holding them tightly to her chest as the Doctor, catching a glimpse of the aliens coming their way, grabbed a decanter of alcohol of the table, held it up at eye-level and stood in the doorway with his sonic screwdriver pointed at it.

The four humans stood behind him, Seren on his left with Siwan slightly behind her, Harriet on his right and Ganesh between Harriet and Siwan, looking over the Time Lord’s shoulder.

“One more move and my sonic device will triple the flammability of this alcohol.” He warned, and as if to elaborate his point, he continued, “Whoof, we all go up. So back off.”

The aliens, taking the warning seriously especially since they weren’t sure if it was a bluff or not, took a step further back into the outer room and looked at him.

“Right. Question time.” He said, grinning and lowering the decanter slightly. “Who exactly are the Slitheen?”

“They’re aliens.” Harriet replied helpfully.

“Yes, I got that. Thanks.” The Doctor replied sarcastically, looking back at her momentarily before looking back at the Slitheen.

“Who are you, if not human?” one of the male Slitheen asked in reply.

“Who's not human?” Harriet asked, confused.

“He's not human.” Ganesh replied, gesturing to the Doctor’s back.

“He's not human?” Harriet repeated in surprise, pointing to the Doctor’s back.

“Can I have a bit of hush?” The Doctor asked, slightly irritated at the question and answer session going on behind him.

“Sorry.” The four humans muttered in unison.

“So, what's the plan?” The Doctor asked the Slitheen, turning back to them.

“But he's got a Northern accent.” Harriet commented in confusion, her curiosity and confusion making her unable to stay quiet.

“Lots of planets have a north.” Seren replied, repeating what he had told her when she had asked the same question.

“I said hush!” The Doctor reminded two women, glancing at them before turning back to the Slitheen. “Come on!” he raised the decanter and the sonic screw driver in warning as he continued to speak. “You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?”

“Why would we want to invade this God-forsaken rock?” the other male Slitheen asked in response, genuinely sounding confused at the idea.

“Then something’s brought the Slitheen race here.” He theorized. “What is it?”

“The Slitheen race?” one of the males repeated.

“Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname.” The other male explained. “Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service.”

“So, you’re family. ” Seren summarized.

“A family business.” Jocrassa explained.

“Then you're out to make a profit.” The Doctor concluded.

“Wait, how can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?” Siwan asked, using the Slitheen’s own words back at them.

“Uh, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?” The other male Slitheen asked.

“Is that what I said?” The Doctor asked, completely forgetting his own threat.

“Yes.” Seren groaned in response as she and Siwan face-palmed in exasperation.

“You're making it up.” The male exclaimed in realization.

“Oh, well! Nice try.” The Doctor said, shrugging at being caught out on his lie. “Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it.”

He held the decanter out over his shoulder to Harriet.

“You pass it to the left first.” She replied, clutching the Red Box tightly to her chest.

“Sorry.” The Doctor said, passing it to Seren.

“Thanks.” She said, passing it to her sister.

Siwan took it and passed it to Ganesh, who took it knowing the two didn't drink, even if he had only met Siwan before.

“Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter.” The male said, walking slowly towards them and flexing his clawed fingers as the Doctor crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don't you think we should run?” Ganesh asked, terror seeping into his voice and a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.

“Fascinating history, Downing Street.” The Doctor commented before going on to explain why it was so. “Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man.” He gave a slight chuckle as he remembered the man. “1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson.” He lifted a small panel by the door and pressed a button. The three of the four humans watched in amazement as metal shutters crashed shut across the windows and doors.

“Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall.” Siwan commented, going to one of the shutters and running her fingers over the reinforced metal.

“Exactly!” the Doctor exclaimed, turning to them. “They'll never get in.”

“And how do we get out?” Harriet asked.

“Ah.” The Doctor smiled sheepishly as the twins groaned.

“How do you know about the history of Downing Street?” Ganesh asked Siwan as they began looking through the room for anything they could use for communication, realizing that the Slitheen would cut off all communications to protect their hunt and prevent the small group from getting help.

“Yeah. How _do_ you know that?” Seren asked with a frown, looking at her sister briefly before returning to her task of checking cabinets – mostly trying to open them. “You had Mr. Brown for History class just like I did. That man is dryer than an old hoover.”

“Yes, but while you and most of the school would sleep during his class, I actually used to read the textbooks during that time.” Siwan replied, trying to open the drawers.

“No wonder you know a lot about history.” Seren muttered as Harriet sat at the table, her back to the fireplace, and began reading through the Emergency Protocols.

“Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?” the Doctor asked, bringing the three back on track. He was using his sonic screwdriver on the metal shutters.

“No. This place is antique.” Seren replied, turning around and looking at him.

“What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?” Ganesh asked, looking at the Time Lord.

“He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans.” He explained.

“But the Slitheen are about eight feet.” Siwan pointed out, slightly confused. “How do they fit inside?”

“That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit.” The Doctor explained.

“That's why there's all that gas.” Siwan said in realization.

“It's a big exchange.” The Doctor said, nodding.

“I bet Rose wishes she had a compression field. She’s always going on about how she could fit a size smaller.” Seren muttered.

“Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes.” Harriet snapped, looking at the younger woman reproachfully.

“Sorry.” Seren said, chastised. “You get somewhat used to this when you're friends with him.”

She pointed to the Doctor in explanation.

“Well, that's a strange friendship.” Harriet commented, earning a nod of agreement from the twins.

“Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones.” The Doctor said with a frown on his face as he completed his circuit around the room and reached the fireplace. He turned to Harriet, looking at her back, “You're not famous for anything, are you?”

“Oh, hardly.” She scoffed.

“Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?” the Doctor muttered.

“Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now.” Harriet said, starting off matter-of-factly and ending the sentence slightly despaired. “The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs.”

“Hasn’t it got Defense codes or something? Couldn’t we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?” Ganesh asked, sitting across from her as the twins sat on top of the table on either side of the older woman, with their legs hanging over the edge, swinging slightly.

They looked at Ganesh for a heartbeat before Harriet spoke up.

“You’re a very violent young man.”

“I’m serious. We could.” He said, standing firm on the idea.

“Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations.” Harriet replied, causing Ganesh to back down slightly since there was no way they could carry out his idea.

“Say that again.” The Doctor ordered, turning to them with a thoughtful frown on his face.

“What, about the codes?” Harriet asked, looking back at him.

“Anything. All of it.”

“The British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN.” Siwan began explaining.

“Like that's ever stopped them.” Seren scoffed, earning nods from the rest.

“Exactly, given our past record.” Siwan continued with a nod.

“And I voted against that, thank you very much.” Harriet informed them.

“The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN.” Siwan explained.

“Is it important?” Harriet asked the Doctor as they all looked at him.

“Everything’s important.” He replied, resting his palms against the table as he tried to draw conclusions.

“If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted.” Harriet said before adding deadpanned as she took in her own words. “Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal.”

“What do they want, though?” Ganesh asked.

“Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World.” He walked around the table and stopped at one end. “They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset.” The Doctor said, summarizing what they had learned during the brief Question and Answer session they had with the Slitheen.

“Like what, gold? Oil? Water?” Harriet asked, looking at him.

“You're very good at this.” He told her with a smile.

“Thank you.” She replied bashfully, blushing slightly.

“Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?” he muttered to himself, evidently the nagging feeling of knowing the woman from somewhere still bugging him.

The tune of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy, in the original German sounded through the room.

“Oh, that’s me.” Seren said, rummaging through her purse and pulling out her phone.

“But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?” Ganesh asked in confusion, the expression mirrored by Siwan and Harriet.

“He zapped it. Super phone.” Seren replied absently, pointing at the Doctor as she looked at the message.

“Then we can phone for help.” Harriet said hopefully, standing and turning to the Doctor as she asked, “You must have contacts."

“Dead downstairs, yeah.” He replied.

“It's Mickey.” Seren said.

“Oh, tell your stupid best friend we're busy.” The Doctor snapped.

“Yeah, he's not so stupid after all.” Seren replied, handing him the phone and showing the message attachment.

It was a photo of a Slitheen.

Seren took the phone back from the Doctor and called Mickey. He wasted no time telling her of his encounter with the Slitheen.

 _“No, no, no, no, no. Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!”_ Mickey told her, his tone rapid and fearful.

 _“Rose and I could've died!”_ Jackie called out. _“Thank god Rhi and Johnny had taken the kids to Ru’s flat when the officer arrived.”_

“Are they all right, though?” Seren asked, adding, “Don't put either of them on, just tell me.”

Before Mickey could give a reply, the Doctor took the phone from Seren and spoke into it.

“Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer.”

“ _I_ _t’s Mickey, and why should I?_ ”

“Mickey the Idiot. I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, uh, I need you.” The Doctor had an expression that looked as if he had swallowed something bitter.

Seren sighed and walked over to Siwan, who was seated at the furthest end of the table, as far away from the small group as possible. Her glasses were perched precariously on her nose as she played with a lock of her dark brown hair, curling it around her finger before letting it fall loose and repeating the action. It was done in such an absent-minded manner that Seren knew the youngest Jones sister was lost far away in her thoughts.

“Siwan, how are you holding up? Seren asked, putting a hand on her younger sister’s shoulder to draw her out of her thoughts and speaking softly so as not to draw attention away from the Doctor who was walking Mickey though the process of hacking into the UNIT website while fiddling with the conference phone speaker.

“I’m doing all right.” She replied with a smile, pushing her glasses up her nose as the older woman pulled a chair and sat opposite from her.

“But…” Seren said leadingly.

“But I’m worried about Adam.” Siwan said, her voice just as soft as she squeezed her hands together tightly. “My phone won’t work to contact him, and yours is being used to try and save the world.” She sighed and slumped back against the chair. “I think I’m in love with him.” She shook her head. "No, I  _know_ I'm in love with him.

The last sentence was said so quietly that Seren almost missed it, but when she processed what her sister had said, a wide smile crossed the older woman’s face.

“Siwan, that’s great!” she said, the smile still on her face. However, seeing the sad look on her sister’s face, the smile slowly disappeared as a frown took its place. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” Siwan said reassuringly. “He’s told me so many times that he loves me, each time reassuring me that he doesn’t expect me to reply until I’m ready.” She looked away for a moment before looking back at her sister. “But, with all this? We both know that the chances of people actually believing in aliens even after all this is pretty slim.” The statement got an agreeing nod from the older woman as Siwan continued, “If you continue travelling with the Doctor, and I have a feeling you will should we survive this, am I going to have to keep it a secret? I told him you were back, but what am I going to tell him about how you managed to disappear for an entire year, with only a single phone call and no other communication of any sort? How am I going to tell him? After all the help and support he has given me, how can I do that to him?”

Seren sighed, seeing her sister’s point, understanding it. How could she expect her sister to keep the time and space travelling a secret from her boyfriend? The man she loved. Did she even have the right to expect it of her?

Seren was drawn out of her musings when she heard the Doctor tell Mickey to repeat what he said, the phone now connected to the conference phone speaker, allowing them all to hear the conversation.

 _“It’s asking for the password.”_ Mickey repeated.

“Buffalo. Two F's, one L.”

“ _So, what's that website?”_   They heard Rose ask Mickey.

“ _All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark.”_

“Mickey, you were born in the dark.” The Doctor snarked.

“Oh, leave him alone.” Seren sighed as she and Siwan joined the group surrounding the speaker.

“ _Thank you._ ” Mickey said to her before adding, “ _Password again._ ”

“Just repeat it every time.” The Doctor told him.

“There’s something that’s bugging me.” Siwan said. Seeing them look at her in encouragement to continue, she said, “Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?”

“The Doctor said to gather the experts, to kill them.” Harriet reminded them as she poured the port for them and handed the glasses out. The twins refused the drink, going instead for the water bottles that were in the small mini-fridge in the corner.

“That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London.” The Doctor replied as Ganesh nodded his agreement, the two accepting their glasses of port.

“The Slitheen are hiding, but then they go and put the entire planet on Red Alert.” Seren said with a frown on her face as she paced back and forth. “What would they do that for?”

As she asked her question, she stopped pacing and turned to the rest of the group.

“ _Oh, listen to her!”_ Jackie muttered snidely, still upset about what she had learnt.

“At least I’m trying, Aunt Jackie.” Seren said tiredly as she flopped back on one of the chairs.

“ _Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind_.” Jackie said and continued speaking, not giving anyone a chance to say anything. “ _Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and one of my god-daughters disappear off the face of the Earth_.”

“I told you that I had been traveling.” Seren sighed, removing her glasses and rubbing her the bridge of her nose.

 _“I'm talking to him.”_ Jackie snapped at her before continuing. “ _'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor._ _And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me._ _Just answer me this. Are my god-daughters safe?”_

“We’re fine.” This time, it was Siwan who answered the worried blonde.

 _“Are they safe?”_ Jackie pleaded, ignoring the twins as Harriet and Ganesh watched silently. _“Will Seren always be safe if she stays with you? Will Siwan if she stays with Seren? Can you promise me that?”_ there was a long pause as the Doctor and Seren looked at each other, the Time Lord not saying a word as he leaned against the mantle. “ _Well, what’s the answer?”_

Before the Doctor could give an answer to the woman on the other end, Mickey said, “ _We’re in_.”

“Now then, on the left at the top.” The Doctor said as he moved back to the table and leaned over to speak into the speakerphone. “There’s a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that.”

 _“What is it?”_ Mickey asked a second later after he had done as asked.

“The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying.” The Doctor replied.

Seren and Siwan exchanged looks as the Doctor furrowed is brow, trying to make out what the signal was saying. The two sisters knew that the Doctor would have to answer Jackie one day, the woman was a force of nature to be reckoned with when it came to her children, and that included the Jones sisters.

“It’s some sort of message.” The Doctor said softly.

“What’s it say?” Siwan asked.

“Don’t know. It’s on a loop, keeps repeating.” He replied absently. They heard the sound of Mickey’s doorbell ringing. “Hush!”

 _“That’s not me.”_ Mickey said before adding, presumably to Rose and Jackie, _“Go and see who it is.”_

 _“It’s 3:00 in the morning.”_ They heard Rose say with a yawn.

“It’s beaming out into space. Who’s it for?” the Doctor asked.

They heard Jackie say something to Mickey, sounding panicked. Siwan and Seren looked at each other with worried frowns.

 _“They’ve found us.”_ Mickey told them.

“Mickey, I need that signal.” The Doctor said.

“Mickey, are you able to get out?” Seren asked, pushing aside her panic as she and Siwan leaned over the table towards the speakerphone. She understood the need for the signal as well as her own need for them to get out and to be safe.

 _“We can’t. It’s by the front door.”_ Mickey replied, his own fear calming down at the calm and practical tone being used.

“Can you safely continue to send us the signal?” Seren asked.

 _“No, it’ll come through in a few minutes.”_ Mickey replied. They could hear Rose and Jackie panicking in the background.

“Okay, take your baseball bat. Use it as a defense like I had showed you a few weeks ago.” Siwan said. “Their skin is incredibly thick, so it won’t do much. But it’ll give you a few precious moments to run."

 _“Okay._ ” Mickey said, slightly breathless. _“I’ve got my baseball bat with me.”_

“The moment you see the chance to run, then run.” Siwan said.

 _“Oh, my God, it’s unmasking.”_ Mickey said, slightly panicked. _“It’s gonna kill us."_

“There’s got to be some way of stopping them!” Harriet exclaimed, slightly taken aback by the calm and practical aura the twins were exuding despite the obvious fear in their large eyes. She whirled around to look at the Doctor. “You’re supposed to be the expert. Think of something!”

“I’m trying!” The Doctor snapped back.

 _“I’ll take it on Jackie, Rose. You two just run.”_ They heard Mickey tell Rose and Jackie. _“Don’t look back. Just run.”_

They heard the sounds of the front door splintering as the Slitheen tried to get through. The Doctor pushed away from the table as he moved back towards the wall, as if trying to distance himself from the sounds.

“That’s our god-mother and god-sister.” Seren said softly, looking at the Doctor. She spoke softly enough that Mickey couldn't hear her fear and panic.

In that moment, all traces of the strong woman that they saw a few minutes earlier was gone, in its place was a young woman who feared for her family. Siwan had the same expression on her face as she looked at the Doctor as well.

The Doctor looked between the two sisters and the speakerphone as they heard the sounds of the door being splintered.

“Right.” He said with resolve. “If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to 5000 planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them?” He walked around to the opposite end of the table as he spoke. He came to a stop at the head of the table as Siwan and Seren stopped on the right while Harriet and Ganesh stood at the left side of the table. “Information!”

“They’re green.” Ganesh said.

“Yep, narrows it down.” The Doctor said, glancing at him.

“Good sense of smell.” Siwan said. “They were able to smell the adrenalin coming off us.”

“Narrows it down.”

“The pig technology.” Harriet threw in.

“Narrows it down.”

“The spaceship in the Thames, you had said it used a slipstream engine.” Seren added.

“Narrows it down.”

 _“It’s getting in!”_ They heard Mickey exclaim.

“They hunt like it’s a ritual.” Ganesh said.

“Narrows it down.”

“Wait a minute.” Harriet said. “Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, um…”

“Bad breath!” Ganesh threw in.

“That’s it!” Harriet exclaimed, nodding.

“Calcium Decay.” Siwan said.

“Now, _that_ narrows it down!” The Doctor cried out excitedly.

“We’re getting there, Aunt Jackie, Rose, Mickey.” Seren called, looking towards the speaker phone.

 _“Too late_!” Mickey cried.

“Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium.” The Doctor muttered as he paced the length of the table. “Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!” He concluded with a wide grin.

 _“Oh, yeah, great. We could write ‘em a letter!”_ Mickey said sarcastically as the door broke apart.

“Get into the kitchen!” The Doctor ordered as he stopped in front of the speaker phone. Harriet and Ganesh stood on either side of the Time Lord while Seren and Siwan stood across the table from him.

They heard the three follow the order, their screams mingling with the Slitheen’s shrieking.

 _“My God. It’s going to rip us apart!”_   Rose shrieked, panicked as they tried to barricade the door.

“Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!” the Doctor said, his grin still on his face.

“Just like Hannibal!” Harriet exclaimed.

“Just like Hannibal.” The Doctor agreed looking at her before turning back to the speaker phone. “Mickey, have you got any vinegar?”

 _“How should I know?”_ Mickey asked.

Ganesh nodded in agreement.

“It’s _your_ kitchen!” The Doctor pointed out.

“Doctor, _you_ don’t know what’s in your kitchen.” Seren reminded the Time Lord.

“That’s different.” The Doctor said defensively, looking at her.

Seren just raised her eyebrow in response as Siwan and Harriet rolled their eyes.

“Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf!” Siwan told Mickey.

 _“Oh, give it here.”_ They heard Jackie say as she took the phone. _“What do you need?”_

“Anything with vinegar!” the Doctor replied.

They heard Jackie rummage the cupboard for a second before she spoke again.

 _“Gherkins! Yeah, pickled onions! Pickled eggs!”_ As she spoke, they heard her emptying the contents of the jars into what they could assume was a bigger jug.

“Your god-sister kissed this man?” the Doctor asked the twins with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

“Not the time.” Seren said as they heard the Slitheen break into the kitchen. It roared and for a few tense seconds, that was all they could hear.

 _“Take this!”_   They heard Jackie yell as she threw the contents of the jug onto the Slitheen.

For a moment there was nothing, only silence and the sounds of their rapid heartbeats. Then, the Slitheen farted before exploding.

At the sound of the explosion, they gave sighs of relief.

 _“That is disgusting.”_ Rose groaned.

“What happened?” Ganesh asked.

 _“We’re covered in this thing’s innards.”_   Jackie replied in a disgusted tone.

“Well, at least you’re alive.” Seren said reassuringly.

 _“Yeah. I guess.”_ Rose agreed, though still utterly disgusted. _“Hannibal?”_

“Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar.” Siwan explained.

“I really need to brush up on my history.” Seren muttered as Ganesh, Harriet and the Doctor raised their glasses of port while Seren and Siwan raised their water bottles and toasted the moment.

 _“Listen to this.”_ They heard Mickey say to them and they turned to the speaker phone. _“Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within 45 seconds.”_

“What?” The Doctor frowned, as they looked at each other in confusion. Just like that, the relief and happy moment died away.

_“Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you planet Earth is at war.”_

“He’s making it up.” The Doctor said, pushing away from the table. “There are no weapons up there. He just invented it.”

“Do you think they’ll believe him?” Harriet asked.

“They did last time.” Ganesh pointed out.

“That’s why they went for the spectacle.” Siwan said in realization.

“Exactly.” The Doctor said, pushing away from the table and walking towards the wall. “They want the whole world panicking. Because you lot,” he turned and looked at the four humans. “You get scared, you lash out.”

He turned and walked towards the sealed door.

“They release the defense codes…” Seren continued as they followed him.

“And the Slitheen go nuclear.” Siwan finished.

“But why?” Harriet asked.

The Doctor looked at her before opening the metal shutters and looking out at the three Slitheen that were waiting in the Outer Office.

“You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there.” The Doctor said, looking at them as Margaret, in her human suit, moved to stand in front of the three Slitheen. “You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked.”

“And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames.” Margaret continued with a smirk. “Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away.”

“But you’ll destroy the planet, this beautiful place.” Harriet said softly. “What for?”

“Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert.” The Doctor replied to Harriet’s question, not looking away from Margaret.

“The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel.” Margaret explained, her voice dripping with disdain whenever she referred to the Earth.

“At the cost of 5 billion lives.” The Doctor said in a hard voice.

“Bargain.” Margaret said with a shrug, not caring.

“I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I’ll stop you.” The Doctor told her, still looking at her with a hard look in his eyes.

The Slitheen laughed.

“What, you?” Margaret asked mockingly, her laughter dying away, as she moved forwards slightly. She sneered at them as she asked, “Trapped in your box?”

“Yes. Me.” He replied as Margaret began to laugh once more.

He reached out and closed the shutters on the Slitheen’s laughing face, though there was a hint of worry on her face as she took in the Time Lord’s hard look, unblinking expression.

XXXXXXXXX

The rest of the night passed slowly, Mickey calling every once in a while with the news updates, which admittedly wasn’t anything new. The entire world was waiting with baited breath as the UN gathered in New York to decide whether or not to pass an Emergency Resolution.

 _“Okay. They’ve passed the Emergency Resolution.”_ Mickey said when he called several hours later.

Siwan nudged Ganesh, who had fallen asleep at the table with his head in his arms. She gave him a bottle of water and he nodded to her in thanks as he drank gratefully. The man had fallen asleep about two hours earlier, his head literally falling onto the table as his eyes refused to stay open any longer.

While Siwan and the Doctor were readjusting Ganesh’s posture on the chair so that his muscles wouldn’t seize up and cause himself any injury, Harriet told them how she had seen him work without much break since she had arrived at Downing Street early the day before. Siwan removed her sweater, folded it and put it between Ganesh’s head and his arms as a make-shift pillow.

“I think I preferred it when you didn’t have any news to give us, Mickey.” Seren admitted softly, rubbing her temples.

 _“Tell me about it.”_ He muttered as he handed the phone to Jackie.

 _“All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do.”_   Jackie said tiredly.

“If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid.” Harriet suggested.

“Except that takes weeks. And that's  _with_ the right equipment, which we don't have.” Siwan said, not dismissing the idea but pointing out that they need a plan that is slightly more immediate. 

“Mickey, any luck?” Seren asked. He had been given the task of finding the emergency numbers and getting in contact with them.

 _“There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail.”_ Mickey replied regretfully.

“Voicemail dooms us all.” Harriet said, only slightly sarcastic.

“Tell me about it.” Siwan and Ganesh said in unison.

Both worked as assistants, they knew just how much of a pain voicemail could be, especially if the situation was urgent.

“If only we could just get out of here.” Seren said, looking towards the shutter-sealed doors.

“There’s a way out.” The Doctor said. He had been standing quietly, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a dark frown on his face.

“What?” Seren asked, turning to look at him in confusion.

“There’s always been a way out.” The Doctor said quietly, the only person in the room who knew Downing Street better than anyone, even those that worked there.

Seren looked at the Doctor with a frown before realization dawned on her face.

“You can’t guarantee our safety, can you? Mine and Siwan’s. That’s why we haven’t used it, isn’t it?” she asked quietly.

 _“Don’t you dare, Doctor! Whatever it is, don’t you dare!”_ Jackie yelled at the Time Lord. Her fear for her god-daughters was clear for them all to hear.

 _“Mum? What is it? Don’t dare what?”_   they heard Rose ask.

“That’s the thing. If I don’t dare, everyone dies.” The Doctor said, pushing off the wall and moving to the table, standing with his palms open on the surface as he spoke into the speakerphone. His anguish was echoing in his voice and clear across his face.

Seren looked at the Doctor, the mad man with his blue box that showed her something wonderful and terrifying. She looked at him, and in that moment, she didn’t see the mad man with the manic grin; she saw a man who carried the weight of his lost world and now faces an impossible choice regarding her world.

“Do it.” She said. Her voice was soft, but she might as well have shouted in the silence that echoed in the Cabinet Room, no one daring to breathe.

The Doctor looked at the beautiful brunette woman in front of him.

“You don’t even know what it is. You’d just let me?” he asked, taken aback.

“Yeah.” Seren replied with a shrug as though it were the most natural thing in the Universe, putting your life in the hands of another without even knowing what he was intending to do.

 _“Please, Doctor. Please. They’re my god-daughters. They’re my babies. I can’t lose them too.”_ Jackie pleaded. They could hear her sobs as she pleaded, Rose’s own sobs in the background as she realized what her mother was pleading for – her god-sisters lives.

“Do you think I don't know that?” The Doctor asked Jackie, his voice soft and filled with pain. “Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” This time, it was Siwan who spoke as she came to stand beside her sister and look at the Doctor with large sapphire blue eyes.

Both women, identical in every way except for their jewel colored eyes, looked at him with compassion and understanding, knowing how difficult a position he was in.

“I could save the world, but lose you.” The Doctor said, replying to Siwan’s question but looking into Seren’s large amethyst orbs.

“You won’t lose me.” Seren said softly and full of meaning. “I’ve made my Choice.”

“And mine is still yet before me.” Siwan said, her voice just as soft and holding just as much meaning.

Harriet, who had been silent the entire time, watched the wide range of emotions play out on the trio’s faces. It was as if they had forgotten her and Ganesh were even there as they spoke with Jackie, who had definitely forgotten that there were two other people in the room.

Ganesh looked between the three, the identical sisters and the Time Lord. As he watched them and listened as the Doctor revealed the price that would be paid if he were to save the world, he got the feeling that the Time Lord and the elder Jones sister had more feelings between them than just friends. Even if they weren’t entirely aware of it.

“Except it’s not your decision, Doctor.” Harriet said, drawing their attention to her. “It’s mine.”

 _“And who the hell are you?”_ Rose and Jackie demanded to know.

“Aunt Jackie! Rose!” Seren and Siwan exclaimed in unison, aghast at the rude tone they used.

“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you… do it.” Harriet said, speaking with power and authority as she stood straight and looked at the Doctor directly in the eyes.

The Doctor looked at Seren for a long moment, searching for any sign of hesitation or fear. He saw none, absolutely none, not in Seren’s eyes nor in Siwan’s.

“How do we get out?” Ganesh asked as the Doctor grabbed the Red Box.

“We don’t. We stay here.” The Doctor replied as he took the Emergency Protocols out of the Box. He looked through the files as he instructed Mickey on what to do. Once Mickey told them he was into the servers, the Doctor said, “Use the ‘Buffalo’ password. It overrides everything.”

 _“What are you doing?”_ They heard Jackie ask.

 _“Hacking into the Royal Navy.”_ Mickey replied.

 _“Is that legal?”_ They heard Rose ask.

“Rose, at the moment, legality isn’t our biggest concern.” Siwan said gently.

 _“We’re in.”_   Mickey said before Rose could reply. “ _Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth_.”

“Right, we need to select a missile.” The Doctor told him.

 _“We can’t go nuclear. We don’t have the defense codes.”_ Mickey reminded him.

“We don’t need it. All we need is an ordinary missile.” The Doctor replied, involuntarily glancing up at Seren before looking back at the speakerphone. “What’s the first category?”

_“Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A.”_

“That’s the one. Select.”

 _“We could stop you.”_ They heard Jackie tell Mickey.

They looked at each other and back at the speakerphone. Seren and Siwan knew that Jackie was fully capable of stopping Mickey. The two sisters glanced at each other, each silently praying that Jackie wouldn’t, not when they were about to save everyone. It didn’t even occur to either of them that the older blonde believed that the two of them were unlikely to survive, so focused on saving the 5 billion innocent lives on their beloved home.

 _“Do it then.”_ They heard Mickey tell Jackie.

"You ready for this?” the Doctor asked him, wanting to be sure. “There’s no going back once you’ve pressed that button.”

_“Yeah. I know.”_

“Mickey, the Idiot. The world is in your hands.” The Doctor said softly and somberly. “Fire.”

They heard the mouse click as Mickey fired the missile on their location.

 “How solid are these?” Harriet asked, looking at the walls after the missile had been launched.

“Not solid enough.” Ganesh replied. “They were built for short range attacks, nothing this big.”

“All right, now I'm making the decision.” Siwan said determinedly, looking around the room. “I'm not going to be making my Choice because of a missile strike, thank you very much. We're going to ride this one out.” She tugged at the door of one of the cupboards, opening it, as she continued her explanation. “Similar to how you can ride out an earthquake, by standing under a doorframe. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on.”

Harriet, Ganesh and Seren hurried over and began helping Siwan empty the cupboard so there was room for them all to squeeze in.

 _“It’s on radar.”_ Mickey said as they worked. _“Counter defense 556._ ”

“Stop them from intercepting it.” The Doctor ordered.

 _“I’m doing it now.”_ Mickey said as they heard the sound of keys clicking.

“Good boy.” The Doctor said with a grin, though it was slightly half-hearted.

 _“556 neutralized.”_ Mickey said as the Doctor unplugged the mobile from the speakerphone.

They heard the fire alarm ring through the building as the Doctor followed the four humans into the now cleared out cupboard, the women pausing to grab their purses. It was a tight squeeze for the five of them until Seren and Siwan sat in the Doctor and Ganesh’s laps respectively with Harriet between the two men. Both men curled their larger bodies around the tiny women, holding them close with one arm.

“Nice knowing the four of you.” Harriet said cheerfully as she held out her hands to them.

Seren and Siwan each took hold of one hand while the other held the men’s free hands.

“Hannibal!” Harriet exclaimed.

There was a loud KaBOOM as the missile hit its target, the cupboards shaking for several tense moments, tossing its occupants about as they tightened their grips on each other. The five occupants screamed as it began rolling the remains of the building, still inside its steel shell.

Once their safety shell stopped rolling and shaking, Seren and Siwan stood on slightly shaky legs, the only two that could stand in the cramped space, and kicked the door open with a series of swift kicks. The two sisters got out once the door gave way after the third set of double kicks.

“Made in Britain!” Harriet said with a large smile as she got out, patting the side of the doorway and looking around at the wreckage.

The Doctor and Ganesh followed her out as Seren and Siwan looked at the wreckage that surrounded them.

“This is going to be hell to clean up.” Ganesh muttered with a slight groan, looking around.

Sergeant Price ran up the mountain of rubble when he spotted them.

“Oh, my God! Are you all right?” he asked, looking at them all.

“We’re all right, Sergeant Price.” Siwan replied with a smile.

“Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North.” Harriet said, taking charge and flashing her ID card at him. He glanced at the card and back at her as she continued to speak. “I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down.” He stood in shock, staring at her. Seeing the expression, she gently and firmly urged, “Go on, tell the news.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He stammered slightly before hurrying off.

“Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out.” Harriet gestured to the slightly smoking rubble that surrounded them, small fires in various places. “Oh, Lord.” She looked back at them in surprise. “We haven't even got a Prime Minister!”

“Maybe you should have a go.” The Doctor suggested with a smile.

“Me?” Harriet scoffed. “I’m only a back-bencher.”

“After today and after seeing how level headed you were in the face of the unexpected and the unknown, I think you could do it.” Ganesh said to her with a smile. “Believe me. Not many people could keep their heads when confronted with something out of a science fiction novel.”

“Don’t I know it.” Seren and Siwan muttered in unison.

“Now, don’t be silly.” Harriet told Ganesh. She gestured towards the approaching emergency personnel, heralded by the sirens. “Look, I’d better go and see if I can help. Hang on!”

She carefully made her way down the mountain of rubble.

“I’d better go as well.” Ganesh said. “I’d like to say it was fun, but honestly,” he turned to Siwan as he continued, “next time can we meet up when the world isn’t ending? Or about to end?”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

“I’ll see what I can do.” She said as she let him go. She brushed away some of the dust from the rubble that had settled on his shoulders and in his hair, giving the dark locks a quick run through with her fingers before stepping back with a satisfied smile.

“Okay, now you can go.” She said.

He shook his head at her in exasperation as he turned and carefully made his way down the rubble, joining Harriet on the street as she said loudly, “We’re safe! The Earth is safe!”

The twins and the Doctor slowly made their way down as well, the two women on either side of the Time Lord.

“I just realized something.” Siwan said when they were about halfway down the pile.

“What?” Seren asked.

“We remembered to grab our purses, but I forgot to grab my sweater.” She replied.

“Huh, you’re right.” Seren muttered as she noticed her sister’s bare arms.

“I thought I knew the name.” The Doctor commented when they reached the street, glancing down at the sisters on either side of him. “Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister.” They stopped and watched as Harriett, with Ganesh, called out to the media, drawing their attention towards her and announced that they were safe. “Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age.”

“Indra was right about her.” Siwan said softly as they walked towards the Powel Estate, after giving one last smile to the future Prime Minister’s back. “Not many people can remain calm and keep their heads the way she did.”

The Doctor dropped Seren and Siwan off at the Estate before returning to the TARDIS. Inside the Tyler/ Jones flat, the twins were met with Rhiannon, Johnny, Rose and Jackie. They all exchanged rounds of tear-filled hugs, relieved that the two were still alive. They broke apart when they heard a knock on the door.

David, seeing that the adults weren’t about to let each other go any time soon, went and opened the door.

“Dr. Adam!” he cried out joyfully when he saw who it was.

“Hi David.” Adam said with a smile, picking the little boy up and holding him tightly. “Is Auntie Siwan here?”

Dr. Adam Pearson, head Surgeon and Chief-of-Staff at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup, London, stood at 6’3” with a lean yet muscular build. He had short hair, high cheekbones and eyes that seemed to change colors between hazel, brown, green and blue, never truly settling on one particular color or shade.

He had come straight from the hospital, so he was wearing a suit with a long overcoat on top, and his hair was in a professional comb back.

“Mhmm.” He replied, nodding. “Her and Auntie Seren just got back.”

“I see.” Adam said, nodding.

He wondered if it had anything to do with Seren’s year-long disappearance. Siwan had called and told him about the older woman’s return, though she didn’t say anything about where she had been for the past year.

“David! Who’s at the door?” Siwan called out.

“It’s Dr. Adam!” David called back before turning to Adam. “Come on, let’s go in.”

Adam laughed as he walked into the flat. He joined the family in the sitting room, setting David back on the ground.

“Seren, it’s good to see you back.” He said sincerely when he saw her. “We missed you.”

“I missed you all as well.” Seren replied. She turned to Siwan as she said, “Can I talk to you for a moment.” She turned back to Adam and said, “Just give us one second. Tyler/ Jones sisters moment.”

He nodded as Johnny groaned theatrically.

“One second, more like one hour. If we’re lucky.” The large Welshman muttered as he flopped backwards onto the coach.

Rhiannon poked him lightly in response as she passed by his large sprawled form, making her way into the kitchen with Rose, Seren and Siwan.

“What’s up Seren?” Rose asked once they were inside and the door and shutters were closed, giving them some privacy.

“Siwan, if you want to tell Adam about the travelling, then you should.” Seren said, looking at her sister.

“What?!” the three asked in unison, though thankfully their voices weren’t very loud, so they didn’t startle anyone in the sitting room.

“I thought about what you had said in the Cabinet Room. And it isn’t fair to either of you to keep it a secret.” Seren replied softly, hopping up to sit on the counter. “I mean, you love him. And he loves you, he has for a very long time. Do you really think you can be in a relationship filled with secrets and lies?”

Siwan was quiet for a long moment, pondering what her sister said. Seren was right. She couldn’t be in a relationship that was filled with secrets and lies, not after everything Adam had done to help her. Even before Seren had disappeared, Adam was always there for her. He was her best friend before he became her boyfriend, and she had always been honest with him. The only thing she hadn’t told him was her being a Chosen One adn the truth about the accident that killed her parents.

She voiced this to the three, leaving out the part of the Chosen One since Rose was unaware of it.

“What if he can’t handle it? What if he breaks up with me because he thinks I’m making it up? Or because he can’t handle it?” She finished.

“Look, Siwan.” Rhiannon said softly. “You are the only one who can make this decision. Your fears are very real, it’s something everyone fears. But ultimately, the question remains, do you have the strength to overcome your fears and talk to him? Whichever way it goes, you will only come out all the more stronger for it.”

Siwan sighed and bit her lip.

“Have you told Johnny?” She asked, looking at her eldest sister.

“Yeah, I did. While we were at Ru’s flat.”

“How’d he take it?” Rose asked.

“At first, he didn’t believe me, at least the time-traveling bit, though he did believe the space-travel bit.” Rhiannon admitted. “Then I reminded him that we grew up in Cardiff. Time travel, space travel. Not the weirdest thing we’ve seen.”

“So true.” Seren said with a giggle.

Siwan took a deep breath and let it out.

“I’m gonna tell him.” She said with a determined expression on her face. “He at least deserves to know the truth about where you’ve been for the past year and about what happened today. Ad we know that mankind isn’t ready to accept that the Universe is much bigger then they thought, so they’re going to find a way to explain it away.”

The last statement earned the Welshwoman a round of nods form her sisters and god-sister as they walked out of the kitchen. In the sitting room, they found Adam, Johnny and Jackie watching the news while David played with Mica under Johnny’s watchful eye. The three looked up when they heard the kitchen door open.

“Everything okay?” Adam asked, seeing the determined yet hesitant expression on Siwan’s face.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” Siwan said with a hesitant smile. Rhiannon gave her an encouraging nudge as she passed by her, joining Johnny on the couch. “Can we talk? In my room?”

“Sure.” Adam said, a worried look on his face as he stood up and maneuvered his way around the tiny limbs that were spread out on the ground.

Siwan led him to her room as Seren and Rose joined Johnny, Rhiannon and Jackie on the couches.

“What was that about, then?” Johnny asked.

“Siwan’s telling him about the travelling, and about what had happened with the Slitheen.” Seren replied.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Jackie asked, her worry for her children expressed on her face.

“Yeah, Aunt Jackie.” Seren replied with a nod. “I think it is. He deserves to know, and I get the feeling that he will be able to handle it a lot better than she thought.”

“Besides, they’re in a relationship. How can they build and grow together if they are kept apart by lies and secrets?” Rhiannon asked.

Jackie nodded understandingly. However, despite understanding their point, she wasn’t about to stop worrying until she knew for sure that Adam could handle the knowledge. He was a good and admirable man, slightly strange with eyes that sometimes seemed too old for his youthful face, but she knew that not everyone could handle the knowledge. She hadn’t been able to handle it in the beginning until she had no choice but to push through for the sake of her babies. Her attention was drawn to the TV as she saw Harriet Jones make her announcement.

_“Mankind stands tall, proud…”_

“Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is?” Jackie sneered. “Look at her, taking all the credit.” She looked at Siwan as she continued her tirade, “It should be you and your sister on there.” She turned back to the TV, adding with a raised voice, “My god-daughters saved the world!”

She didn’t yell, though she wanted to, because of Mica and David who had fallen asleep on the floor where they were playing.

“Aunt Jackie, the Doctor and Mickey saved the world, Siwan and I helped.” Seren said with a gentle smile, leaning back on the couch as she looked at the screen.

Harriet was standing in front of the media, still in her light salmon pink and black skirt suit, with Ganesh behind her as she addressed the country.

“Oh, all right, then. The Doctor and Mickey too.” Jackie agreed reluctantly. “You should be given knighthoods.”

“That’s not the way the Doctor is, Aunt Jackie. Or the way does things.” Seren said softly, curling up on the chair after removing her heels. “He doesn’t like the fuss, he just moves on.”

“He’s not that bad if you give him a chance.” Rhiannon said, much more open-minded than the two blonde women. She leaned against Johnny, curling up against him as he out his arm around her and held her close.

“He’s good in a crisis. I’ll give him that.” Jackie amended, _slightly_.

“Ay now. The world _has_ changed.” Johnny said with a chuckle. “You’re saying nice things about him.”

“Well, I reckon I've got no choice. There's no getting rid of him since Seren’s infatuated.” Jackie replied.

Seren whipped her head around to look at Jackie, her jaw dropping.

“I am not infatuated with him!” Seren cried out indignantly. The looks she received in response portrayed that none of them believed her.

“What does he eat?” Jackie asked randomly.

“What do you mean?” Seren asked, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

“I was going to do shepherd’s pie.” She replied. “All of us. A proper sit down, 'cos” she cleared her throat as she leaned back into the sofa. “I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I don't know, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things.”

“He can eat shepherd’s pie, Aunt Jackie. I just don’t know if he’ll agree, or even be comfortable, with it.” Seren replied. “He doesn’t really stay in one place for very long.”

“Well, he can manage one meal, can’t he?” Rose asked with a frown.

“Aunt Jackie, are you planning on cooking for him?” Rhiannon asked her god-mother.

“What’s wrong with that?” Jackie asked with a frown.

“He’s finally met his match.” Seren said with a laugh.

The laugh was echoed by the others as Jackie glared at the beautiful Welshwoman.

“You’re not to old for a slap, you know.” Jackie told her with narrowed eyes as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. “And you can go and visit Grandma Tyler tomorrow. It’s a good thing you and your sister know French. Siwan and I told her you were in France. We said you were au-pairing.”

Seren’s phone rang, Ode to Joy. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the caller ID, her eyes widening when she saw that it was the TARDIS.

“Hello?”

 _“Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go.”_ The Doctor said in lieu of a greeting.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised that you have a phone.” Seren said with a laugh as Rose got up and joined Jackie in the kitchen. “I mean, 900 years of time and space, who wouldn’t have a phone?”

_“Exactly. Like I said, a couple of hours. I’ve just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up.”_

“Aunt Jackie’s cooking.” Seren told him, slightly hesitantly.

_“Good, put her on a slow heat and let her simmer.”_

“That’s not what I meant.” Seren said. “Would be okay with having dinner with us? She wants to get to know you.”

 _“I don’t do that, and I’ve got better things to do.”_ The Doctor replied after a moment’s pause.

“I figured as much. I thought I should still ask.” Seren said, not at all bothered by his reluctance. To an extent, she even understood it.

“ _Well, you can stay there if you want, but right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice.”_

“Sounds incredible.” Seren breathed, the Time Lords words creating incredible images in her mind as she thought about the opportunity. She glanced over at Johnny and Rhiannon, who were talking quietly with each other, and to David and Mica, who were fast asleep on the floor, before looking over to the hallway that led to Siwan’s room where the younger Jones sister was talking with Adam. She glanced towards the kitchen where Rose and Jackie were puttering around, making tea. She sighed, torn between wanting to experience something unimaginable and not wanting to put her family through such pain again. “Let me think about it? At least, talk to the others, I can’t leave again without telling them.”

 _“Yeah, sure.”_ The Doctor replied. “ _I’ll be back in a couple of hours_.”

“Okay.”

With that, they hung up the call. Seren tapped the phone against her chin in thought.

“Well, what are you going to decide?” Rhiannon asked, having heard enough of the conversation to know what had the younger woman lost in thought.

“I want to go, but I can’t just leave again.” Seren replied, the indecision clear on her face.

“Go with him.” Siwan said from behind her, making her jump and turn around.

Siwan and Adam walked into the sitting room hand-in-hand and with smiles on their faces, indicating the result of their discussion. They also had a slightly rumpled look to them that showed that talking wasn’t the only thing that had been going on. Adam sat on the single sofa with Siwan sitting on his lap.

“We’ll be okay.” Siwan said softly. “It might take a little longer for Aunt Jackie and Rose to come around, but they will.”

Seren nodded and a bright smile crossed her face, lighting her eyes.

“Let’s go and pack.” Rhiannon said, standing up. She looked at Seren as she added, “You need to change. You’ve been wearing that for two days. Siwan, you’re changing too.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The twins replied in unison before running towards their rooms.

Rhiannon growled and went after them, though at a much more sedate pace. When she entered Seren’s room, the younger woman was already dressed in a black lace over white tank top, light blue wide leg denim jeans, black wrap around wristwatch and black ankle boots, with a grey pea coat and black purse* on the bed. She had a travel sized suitcase open on the bed, several articles of clothing and accessories already in.

Siwan walked in as Rhiannon was properly arranging all the items in the suitcase so that there was room. She was wearing an olive green sleeveless cross-neck top, fading and well worn slim-fit denim jeans and black ankle boots with a small stack of silver bangles on her right wrist and a pair of dangling earrings*were hanging from her ears. Her glasses were perched on her face.

“You’re not taking more than this?” Siwan asked, seeing the small case on her bag.

“No. The TARDIS has a Wardrobe, so if necessary, I would wear clothes that she gives me.” Seren replied.

Siwan nodded as she sat down on the bed opposite Rhiannon while Seren stayed standing as she packed.

“So, I take it your conversation with Adam went well.” Rhiannon said with a smirk.

Siwan blushed brightly.

“He took it surprisingly well.” She said. “He also told me somethings about himself that he hadn’t known how to tell me before. And honestly, if he had told me before, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.”

“What did he tell you?” Seren asked, her curiosity piqued.

“It’s not my story or secret to tell.” Siwan replied, slightly apologetic but firm as well.

The two nodded in understanding.

“Seren, I was thinking.” Jackie walked out of the kitchen, only to see that the girls weren’t in the sitting room. Adam pointed towards Seren’s bedroom and Jackie nodded as she and Rose made their way to the Jones’ side of the flat. “We’ve still got that bottle of Amaretto from New Year’s Eve. Does he drink?”

Jackie trailed off when she entered Seren’s room and saw the three girls, packing’s Seren’s travel case. They looked up when Rose and Jackie entered the open room.

“Mum was wondering if he drinks or not.” Rose said softly to Seren.

“He does.” Seren replied, nodding.

“Don’t go, sweetheart” Jackie pleaded, her eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t go.”

“Please.” Rose said tearfully.

Seren looked at them sadly.

“I don’t know why, but I have the feeling that I need to, Aunt Jackie, Rose.” She said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “This time, you know where I am, and where I’ll be. You also have a way to contact me.”

Jackie nodded reluctantly as Seren zipped up the suitcase, picking it and her coat up, before they walked out of the room, joining Johnny and Adam in the sitting room. The kids were now awake, looking at the suitcase in Seren’s hand in confusion.

“Auntie Seren, you going bye?” David asked, looking up at her with large hazel eyes that he got from his father as Johnny took the case.

“Yes, _baban_ , I am. But this time, I’ll be back soon.” Seren replied, putting her coat on.

David nodded happily as he stood up and Seren picked Mica up as they walked out of the flat, Rhiannon walking beside Johnny behind David who was running in front of them, Siwan with Adam’s arm around her waist behind them and Rose, Seren (Mica in her arms) and Jackie bringing up the rear.

“I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends. I'll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will.” Jackie was saying to Seren as they walked out of the block, still trying to convince her to not leave, believing that the younger woman was leaving because of her.

“Aunt Jackie, I’m not going because of you.” Seren said, pulling the older woman to a stop a few feet away from where the Doctor was standing in front of Mickey, who was sitting on a trashcan. Siwan, Adam, Rhiannon and Johnny moved away slightly to give them some semblance of privacy, though they could still hear the conversation. “I’m travelling. Just a little further than you’d expect, that’s all. I will come back, I’ll always come back home. You know that, don’t you?”

“But it’s not safe.” Rose said softly, looking down at the tiny woman.

“If you guys could see it, what it was like. The wonder and the amazement, you’d understand that it’s worth the danger.” Seren replied gently, a look of wonder in her eyes as she remembered the two trips she had been on. “But I promise, I will do what I can to come home to you. Can you accept that?”

Seren looked at the two blonde women as the rest of the group looked on, all of them knowing that this was the defining moment – if, in that moment, Jackie and Rose asked her to stay, she would do so, regardless of her own desire to travel with the Doctor. It was just the way she and Siwan were, always putting others before themselves. It was something that always irritated them all.

Jackie was torn, on one hand, she could tell her god-daughter to stay and she would obey, but Jackie knew that Seren would never be happy. She would never voice it, always respecting the request, but it would be worse for her than if she were to go.

Rose looked between her mother and god-sister. She could see the indecision warring on her mother’s face, the desire to keep them safe but knowing that it would do the opposite if the beautiful Welshwoman were to stay. As much as she wanted Seren to stay, she knew that the older woman had to go.

“Okay.” Jackie said softly, nodding. “But I’m holding you to your promise. You do whatever you can to stay safe and come back home to us. I’m not asking you to go against your beliefs, I know that if someone is in trouble and you can help, then you will. It’s who you are and how you were raised. But I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I lost you. So you come home, okay. You come back home to me and Rose and your sisters.”

By the time Jackie finished, the tears that she had valiantly tried to keep at bay were streaming down her face.

Seren nodded as her own tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I promise, Aunt Jackie.” She said nodding tearfully, though there was a wide smile on her face.

Mica, who was still on Seren’s hip, looked at the woman in confusion. She lifted a tiny hand and brushed away the tears. When they turned to look at her, she looked up at them with large cerulean blue eyes filled with trust and love.

“You’re right, Mica. No more crying.” Rose said with a smile.

“Got enough stuff?” The Doctor asked, looking at the travel-sized suitcase that Johnny had handed to him in surprise. He had expected her to bring much more.

“Last time I joined you, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me.” She replied, turning to him. “Besides, the TARDIS said that I didn’t need to pack too many things, since she could give me whatever I would need.”

Mica babbled at him.

“Mica’s right. Be happy that’s all she’s bringing.” Siwan said with a laugh as Seren went to Mickey, who was watching silently. He had gotten off the trashcan and was now standing with David on his shoulders.

“Siwan.” The Doctor said, continuing when the woman turned to him “If you want, you can come, you were quite brilliant.”

Siwan looked up at him.

“Thank you for the offer, but… I have a relationship that I need to work on.” Siwan replied, reaching out and taking Adam’s hand. “Besides, I don’t entirely trust your landings. But if you could tweak our mobiles the way you did Seren’s, I’d really like that. It would give us all a definite way to communicate.”

The Doctor nodded in acceptance and held out his hand for their phones. They handed the mobiles over and he tweaked them with his sonic screwdriver, handing them back seconds later.

 “Why don’t you come with us, Mickey?” Seren asked. “There is more than enough room.”

Mickey opened his mouth to reply but the Doctor beat him to it.

“No chance. He’s a liability, I’m not having him on board.” The Time Lord said, causing Seren to turn and look at him.

Behind her, Mickey shot the alien a grateful look. Seren raised her eyebrow, looking between the Time Lord and her best friend, missing the look that Mickey shot him.

“I don’t believe that’s what it is.” She said, looking back at the Doctor. “Mickey was the one that had saved us, without his strength we would’ve been dead.”

Siwan, Adam, Johnny and Rhiannon looked at each other and had to bite back their laughs. Rose and Jackie had wide grins on their faces as they watched the Time Lord that had whisked the woman away one year earlier get taken to task by the tiny stubborn Welshwoman.

“My decision is final.” The Doctor said firmly.

“It’s okay, Seren.” Mickey said, knowing that if the woman put her mind to it, the Doctor didn’t stand a chance. “Like you said last year, this your chance to see the stories you've been told all your life for real. When you came back, you’d better tell me all about it.”

“It’s a deal.” Seren said with a nod.

She didn’t believe for a second that he wasn’t coming because the Doctor didn’t want him to. She believed it had more to do with his own reluctance to face the unknown and the dangerous, despite what they had been through over the past 24 hours.

In a move reminiscent to the one a year earlier, she reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a gentle Eskimo-kiss, rubbing her nose against his.

“Good luck yeah. And be safe.” Mickey said when they parted.

“You still can't promise me.” Jackie, who had been watching them with her arms crossed, burst out, turning to the Doctor. “What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do we wait then?”

“Aunt Jackie…” Seren said, handing Mica to Adam before gently putting her hands on the older woman’s shoulders and making her turn to face her. “Did you forget? The TARDIS is a time machine. I could travel to suns, moons, planets and stars all the way to the furthest reaches of the Universe, and when I get back, it would’ve only been ten seconds that could pass. Just ten seconds, that’s all.” She smiled up at the older woman, understanding the worry. “I won’t ask you to stop worrying, because that’s what you do. But please trust that he’ll bring me home.” Seren gave a slight laugh as she added, “And if not him, then the TARDIS will definitely make sure she does.”

Jackie nodded and the two women hugged each other tightly, Rose wrapping her arms around them as well. Before Seren knew it, she was in the middle of a big group hug, with her, Mica and David being squeezed from all sides. The Doctor looked on with a smile, a pang in his heart as he remembered a time he used to do the same with his family.

The group hug broke apart when Mica loudly vocalized her displeasure at being squeezed.

Once they separated, Seren gave a last round of hugs and kisses to them before following the Doctor to the TARDIS.

She stopped in the doorway and turned, looking back at them.

“Always by each other,” Seren started.

“Always together,” Rose, Siwan, David and Rhiannon continued.

“Always and forever.” Mickey, Johnny and Jackie finished.

Seren smiled radiantly at them and turned, going inside the TARDIS, letting the door close behind her. The group watched as the TARDIS dematerialized with the typical grinding noise of her engines and strong breeze. Jackie looked at her watch with baited breath once the ship completely disappeared.

She looked at Mickey, Adam, Siwan, Johnny, Rose and Siwan briefly before looking at the spot the TARDIS had been.

“Ten seconds.” She said softly, lowering her hands as she waited.

When there was no sign of the TARDIS for several seconds, her shoulders slumped slightly as she and Rose headed back to the flats. Rhiannon and Johnny followed with David and Mica, both wanting to put the kids back to bed before they ended up staying up all night and keeping their parents up while they were at it. Adam and Siwan went the opposite direction, intending to take a midnight stroll while Mickey sat on the rubbish bin once more and resumed reading the newspaper, intending to keep vigil until Seren returned.

_ Links: _

_*Seren outfit -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/318629742379815261/>_

_*Siwan outfit -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/203576845632836985/>_


	7. Interlude: Revealing Conversations

** Interlude: Revealing Conversations **

After asking Adam if they could talk privately, Siwan led him into her room. She was nervous, biting her lip and fiddling with her hands. She was afraid that Adam wouldn’t be able to handle the news, even though they did nearly end up in the middle of World War Three. Once he was inside the room, she closed the door and sat on the bed, patting the space in front of her for him to sit as well.

He sat down and took her tiny hand in his own, gently rubbing soothing circles into the back of the palm.

“Siwan, what is my love?” he asked, looking at her worriedly. “You know that you can tell me anything.”

It was very rare that she would be this nervous, in fact, he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her like this.

“I know.” She said softly in the gentle Welsh accent that he loved. She took a deep breath and looked at him. She looked in his eyes for a long moment, the eyes that always seemed to change color and were filled with his love for her. “Do you know what happened today? At Downing Street?”

“Yes, there was a missile attack and there is talk of aliens.” Adam replied. “But there is also talk of it possibly being a hoax.”

“What do you think?” She asked, pulling her hand out of his and standing up, moving to the window and looking out.

“I don’t know, to be honest.” He replied honestly, looking at her back since she was facing the window. “I don’t think it was a hoax, but at the same time, what could it have been?”

“What if I were to tell you that it was real?” Siwan asked, still not looking at him.

“I would believe you.” He replied without hesitation.

She turned around and looked at him.

“Without even needing any proof?”

“Siwan, you have never lied to me about anything this big. Actually, you’ve never lied to me, period.” Adam said as he stood up and moved to stand in front of her. “What is all this about?”

“It was real. The aliens were real and they wanted to destroy the Earth and sell the pieces for profit. We stopped them with the missile strike. And regarding Serens disappearance, to us, she had been gone a year, but for her it had only been a few days, if that. That’s why she hadn’t called, except for that one phone call the day after Hendricks went up. She had been travelling through time and space with a man called the Doctor. He’s an alien and he has an incredible ship called the TARDIS that’s bigger on the inside and is actually sentient. I’ve been inside and heard her speak to me.”

On a roll and seeing that he had no inclination to interrupt any time soon, she continued. She explained about being a Chosen One of the Mara, about the truth behind the accident that had killed her parents, about Seren now being an immortal and about the Choice she would have to make when on the brink of death.

Adam looked at her with his mouth dropped open. Out of everything he could possibly had expected, _that_ was not it. And that was saying a lot considering he was an Immortal and over 5000 years old and had once been known as Death, one of the Four Horsemen.

“Adam?” Siwan asked timidly, looking up at the shell-shocked man.

The timid sound of her voice broke him out of his stupor. He looked at her and saw the hesitation and fear in her expressive jewel eyes, fear that he wouldn’t believe her.

“Wow.” He breathed. “That was not what I was expecting, at _all._ But I believe you.”

“You do?” she asked, hope shining brightly across her face.

“Yes. Like I said, you would never lie about anything, let alone anything remotely this big.”

She smiled and hugged him, tears of relief spilling down her cheeks. 

“But, there’s something I need to tell you.” He said, pulling back slightly and looking down at her. He removed her glasses, put them on the night table and cupped her face with his large hands, wiping her tears with the pads of his thumbs. “Something I should’ve told you a lot earlier, but I couldn’t because I was afraid.”

“What is it, Adam?” she asked, looking at his blurry figure in concern.

“Sit down.” He said, stalling slightly as he led her to the bed and gently sat her down. “I’m Immortal. Not in the way that Seren is, I’m not a Chosen One.”

“So, Immortal as in, you can’t die? Or as in you’re long-lived?” Siwan asked, her practical nature taking over. After everything she had seen, this was strange but not something she couldn’t handle. At least, she didn’t think so.

“Both. I can die, I just can’t stay dead unless I’m beheaded.” Adam replied, hope blooming in his heart that maybe he wouldn’t lose this amazing woman any sooner than he would have to.

“How old are you?”

“I’m old. Over 5000 years old. I can’t really remember much of my life before then.” Adam admitted.

“Have you been alone all this time?” she asked quietly, almost afraid of what the answer might be.

“Not all of it. There are others, not all of them are good. Duncan, the friend of mine that taught you and Seren how to fight with weapons, is also an Immortal. Of all the Immortals I’ve known, he is the best I’ve ever seen.”

He proceeded to tell her about the Game, about his past, the Watchers and the other Immortals. He also explained that most of his friends from Seacouver that she had met were either Immortals, Watchers or humans that were aware of them. He told her about being a Horseman, the people he had loved and lost over the years. He told her about Alexa, falling in love with her and losing her to human mortality far too soon.

“When I lost her, thought I would never feel love like that again.” He said softly, now sitting on the bed next to her. “But when I realized I was in love with you, it took me by surprise. Falling for you had happened so gradually, I didn’t even realize it, not even when Amanda and Duncan used to tease me.” He put his hand on her cheek, making her look into his eyes as he continued, “When I told you several months ago that my love for you is so much stronger that anything I had ever felt before, I meant it. What I feel for you is so much stronger than anything I felt for Alexa, and that had scared me.” He let go of her face and stood up, going to the window and looking out. “Losing her nearly broke me, but losing you,” he turned and looked back at her, “Losing you will kill me. If I were to lose you, I would once again give in to the very part of me I turned my back on. The part of me that was a Horseman, the part of me that enjoyed killing, pillaging and raping for fun.”

Siwan, who had been silent as he spoke, got up from the bed and moved to stand in front of him.

“You will not lose me.” She said firmly. “If I have to make my Choice so that I can stay with you, then I will.” She took a breath and looked up into his eyes. “I love you. I realized it when we were in the Cabinet Room with no way out except one that would have killed us all, except Seren.”

“Say it again.” He said breathlessly, looking at her.

“I love you.”

He pulled her in for a deep kiss, tangling his large hand in her hair and he held her head while his other arm wrapped around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling one hand in his hair as he licked her lips, asking for entrance.

She opened her mouth and his tongue slipped inside, exploring every inch of her mouth as their tongues battled for dominance. He gently ran a hand over her side and she melted against him as he picked her up, never breaking their kiss. He lowered her on the bed, with him on top of her, as she ran her hands over his back. They broke apart when the need for air became a necessity and he rested his forehead against hers.

“Say it again.” He said.

“I love you.” She repeated with a smile.

I love you too.”

“We should rejoin the others.” She said regretfully.

“Yeah.” He said, not making any indication of moving.

“ _Cariad_ , you need to get off of me.” She said, pecking his lips lightly, almost teasingly.

He groaned and sat up, pulling her up as well. They got of the bed and Siwan ran her fingers through her long thick locks to smooth out the rumpled mess. She wasn’t quite successful, but she no longer looked like she had been kissed to within an inch of her life.

She put her glasses back on and they walked out of the room hand-in-hand, making their way to the sitting room.

“I want to go, but I can’t just leave again.” Siwan heard Seren say as they walked into the sitting room.

“You should go.” Siwan said, making the older woman jump and turn around.


	8. Dalek

_Notes: I realize I didn’t mention in the previous chapter, I am essentially playing ‘hard and loose’ with the Highlander part of the story. There may be several inconsistencies since I haven’t watched the entire series, only the episodes I liked, especially the ones with Methos._

** Dalek **

The TARDIS materialized in a dimly lit and carpeted area filled with display cases. The Doctor opened the door and walked out, followed by Seren.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” She asked with a concerned frown.

Seren was wearing a light blue sleeve-less blouse that tied behind her neck, white skinny jeans and light blue 5” high heeled ankle strap sandals, with a dark gold cuff bracelet on her right wrist and a pair of dark gold dangling earrings in her ears, her white purse* on her shoulder. She had her long hair tied back in a high pony at the crown of her head, held in place by a light blue ribbon.

“Don’t know.” The Doctor replied, looking around the dimly lit area. “Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course.”

He was wearing his usual attire of black trousers and leather jacket, with an olive green jumper and black shoes.

“Where and when are we?”

“Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground. The year 2012.” He replied, looking at a display.

“Wow, that’s incredibly close.” Seren said in amazement. “I should be 29. And yet, I don’t look a day over 23.”

The Doctor nodded as he found the light switch and flipped it on, bathing the room in bright light.

“ _Duw_ ,” Seren breathed as she took in the glass cases that went on in organized rows for as far as she could see. “It’s a museum.” She glanced at the cases in front of her and added, “An _alien_ museum.”

“Someone’s got a hobby.” The Doctor commented as they walked down the aisle between two rows of display cases. “They must have spent no small fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust.” He pointed to an artefact in one of the cases. “That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship.”

“And a Slitheen arm that’s been stuffed.” Seren added with a slightly horrified look on her face when she saw the stuffed arm in one of the cases.

“Oh! Look at you.” The Doctor breathed, drawing Seren’s attention to one of the cases.

“What is it?” She asked, walking over to him and looking at the case.

“An old friend of mine - well, enemy.” The Doctor replied, looking at the case.

It was the head of a Cyberman.

“The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit.” He continued, before adding as an afterthought, “I’m getting old.”

“That can’t be were the signal’s coming from, is it?” Seren asked, looking up at him. “I mean, it’s a severed head.”

“You’re right, it isn’t. This thing’s stone dead. The signal’s alive. Something’s reaching out, calling out for help.” He replied, reaching out and touching the case.

As soon as his fingers touched the glass, alarms went off. They watched as armed guards surrounded them from all sides, also effectively cutting them off from the TARDIS.

“If someone’s collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A.” Seren whispered softly to him.

“You have a point.” He admitted as the guards closed in and aimed their ready weapons at them.

The guards led the pair to an office where a young man a few years younger than Seren’s physical age was showing another man, this one seated behind an oval shaped desk and looking bored, a few artifacts that had been recently purchased.

“And this is the last.” The boy said, gently picking up an artifact – a palm-sized curved object - and handing it to the man. “Paid $800 000 for it.”

Seren and the Doctor walked into the office, a tall woman with curly hair tied into a pony behind them.

“What does it do?” the man asked in an American accent, looking marginally interested as he took the object from the boy and held it.

“Well, you see the tubes on the side?” the boy asked, pointing to the specific area on the object. “It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel.”

The man held the object in one hand, twisting it around carelessly as he looked at it.

“I really wouldn’t hold it like that.” The Doctor said as the boy looked at him in curiosity.

“Shut it.” The woman said sternly.

“Really, though.” The Doctor said, glancing at her before looking back at the man behind the desk. “It’s wrong.”

“Is it dangerous?” the boy asked, curious.

“No.” The Doctor replied. “It just looks silly.”

He reached out for the object and froze as the guards turned their weapons on him, clicking the firing bolts indicating the weapons were ready to fire. The man behind the desk raised a hand in silent command and the guards stepped back, lowering their weapons slightly. The man stood up slowly and handed the object to the Doctor.

“You just need to be…” the Doctor said, taking the object and gently stroked it with his fingers. A beautiful note echoed through the room. “…delicate.”

A smile crossed Seren’s face as the Doctor played a few more notes.

“Wow.” She breathed, looking up at the Time Lord as he played the instrument, a wide smile on his face.

“It’s a musical instrument.” The American said amazement, leaning on the table.

“And it’s a long way from home.” The Doctor added softly.

“Here, let me.” The man said, reaching out and grabbing the instrument from the Time Lord’s hands.

The man held the device the same way the Doctor did and ran his fingers over the tubes. The sound he produced had them wincing as his touch on the instrument was harsh.

“I did say delicate.” The Doctor reminded him with a slight wince as Seren fought against the urge to cover her ears. “It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision.”

The man continued to run his fingers over the instrument, though his touch became gentle.

“Very good.” The Time Lord said with a smile as the sounds began sounding more like musical notes instead of a screeching feline. “Quite the expert.”

“As are you.” The man said, casually and carelessly tossing the instrument over his shoulder. The gentle smiles on Seren and the Doctor’s faces faded as they saw the action. “Who exactly are you?”

“I’m the Doctor. And who are you?”

“Like you don't know.” The man scoffed in reply. “We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake.”

“Pretty much sums me up, yeah.” The Doctor replied with a chuckle.

“The question is, how did you get in?” The man asked contemplatively, walking around his desk and coming to stand in front of the two intruders. “53 floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplice. You're quite a collector yourself, she's rather pretty.”

The man’s eyes roamed over her bare arms and the swell of her breasts beneath her blouse before travelling down her hourglass figure and back up to her face, lingering momentarily on her breasts once more.

“ _She_ will kick your arse if you keep calling her _she_.” Seren snapped, irritated with the way the man had looked at her as if she were a piece of meat. “And if you keep looking at me as if I was a piece of arse, you won’t have eyes by the end of this meeting.”

“She’s English, too!” the man exclaimed, ignoring Seren and looking back at the Doctor. “Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend.”

“I’m _Welsh_.” Seren corrected, glaring at the man, only to be ignored once more.

“This is Mr. Henry Van Statten.” The boy said, sighing at the nickname he was given and at the mistake the man had made about Seren’s accent. The boy’s own eyes roamed over Seren’s figure, though was much more subtle about it, considering the glare Seren was giving Van Statten.

“And who’s he when he’s at home?” Seren asked, looking at the boy with an unimpressed expression on her beautiful face.

“Mr. Van Statten owns the internet.” The boy informed them, wisely moving his gaze up to Seren’s face.

“Don’t be daft.” Seren scoffed. “No one _owns_ the internet.”

“And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?” Van Statten said with a smirk.

“So, you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up.” The Doctor summarized, and unimpressed look now on his face.

“And you claim greater knowledge?” Van Statten asked imperiously.

“I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am.” The Doctor replied.

“And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?” Van Statten asked.

“You tell me.”

“The Cage contains my one living specimen.”

“And what’s that?”

“Like you don’t know.”

“Show me.”

“You want to see it?’

“You can almost smell the testosterone.” Seren muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the two posturing men in front of her.

The boy that had introduced Van Statten and the woman with the curly hair hid their smirks at the comment.

“Goddard.” Van Statten called and the woman with the curly hair looked up. “Inform the Cage we’re heading down.” Goddard nodded, and Van Statten turned to the boy. “You, English. Look after the girl. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do.” Van Statten walked to the lift and turned back. “And you, Doctor-With-No-Name, come and see my pet.”

The Doctor glanced at Seren, silently asking if she’ll be okay on her own. Seren nodded encouragingly and he followed Van Statten into the lift, the doors closing behind him.

“So, what’s your name?” Seren asked, turning to look at the boy.

“Adam. Adam Mitchell.” Adam replied, a slight flush covering his cheeks as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. “You?”

“Jones. Seren Jones.” She replied with a smile as Adam led her out of the office and down the vast corridors of the underground complex. “Where are we going?”

“My workshop.” Adam replied.

“Okay.” She said, nodding and fell silent, listening to Adam’s chatter about Van Statten and the bunker.

Seren looked at the bleak walls, feeling an unexplained sense of uneasiness. Thinking about it, she felt it the moment they stepped out of the TARDIS, but it was slowly becoming more pronounced the longer they spent in this underground bunker/ complex.

“Sorry about the mess.” He said apologetically as he led her into his workshop several minutes later. When she looked around, she had to hold back a grimace as she looked around and took in the mess that littered the small room. The room has filled with shelves and boxes, each shelf and box overflowing with items and artifacts. On a waist-high table in the middle of the room, there was a computer set up along with several items beside it. “Mr. Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods. What do you think that is?”

She turned to look at him and he handed her an object that was an inch thick and looked like pure mental. She took it and turned it over gently in her hands, running her fingers over the metal.

“A piece of metal.” Seren replied, looking back at him with a raised eyebrow.

She had a feeling it was likely more than that, but was too focused on the uneasy feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. She wondered how the Doctor was doing with Van Statten’s ‘living specimen’, and hoped that he was alright.

“Yeah. Yeah, but I think, well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft.” Adam said in a conspiratorial whisper, looking at Seren earnestly. “The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet - spacecraft, aliens, visitors to Earth. They really exist.”

Seren gently set the object down on the tale surface as she looked at him with an appropriately interested expression on her face.

“That’s amazing.” She said, schooling her face to take on an expression of wonder.

She had never been gladder that her mother had insisted she take drama as an elective while in high school, otherwise acting like she didn’t know the truth about aliens would have been slightly difficult.

“I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life.” Adam said insistently, wonder on his face as he told Seren his theory.

“I’m completely gob-smacked.” Seren said with a small smile at his naiveté. “And you sit here and what? Catalogue it all?”

“Best job in the world. “ Adam replied, turning and fiddling with some of the artifacts.

“Have you imagined going out there? Seeing it for real?” Seren asked curiously, looking at him with her large expressive amethyst eyes.

“Yeah.” Adam replied, turning back to look at her. “I’d give anything to see it for real.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Not in our lifetimes.”

He shook his head slightly, certain in his belief as Seren looked at him with a mysterious and knowing look in her eyes.

“Oh, you never know. Stranger things have happened.” Seren said with a smile. “What about all those people who say they've been inside of spaceships and things and talked to aliens?”

“I think they’re nutters.” Adam replied matter-of-factly, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah, my god-sister says the same.” Seren replied with a laugh. Adam laughed as well, a slight flush on his cheeks as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. “How did you end up here?”

“Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit.” Adam replied.

“And you’re a genius?” Seren asked, smirking at him.

“Sorry, but yeah.” Adam replied, shrugging. “I can't help it. I was born clever. When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System. Nearly caused World War Three.”

“And you think that’s funny?” Seren asked, her smirk fading as she raised her eyebrow at the boy’s boast.

“Well, you should've been there just to see them running about.” Adam said, shrugging and missing the unimpressed tone of Seren’s voice. “Fantastic!”

“You sound like the Doctor.” Seren muttered.

“Are you and him…?” Adam asked, trailing off awkwardly.

“Are him and I, what?” Seren asked obliviously, looking back at him.

“Are you together?” Adam clarified, looking decidedly awkward and uncomfortable.

“We’re just friends.” Seren replied.

“Good.” Adam said, nodding.

“Why is that good?” Seren asked clueless.

“It just is.” Adam replied vaguely, his ears turning red.

Seren shrugged at the response, her hand absently straying to her stomach. The uneasy feeling was growing and it was driving her crazy not knowing why she was feeling that way.

“Wouldn’t you rather be downstairs?” She asked, wanting to change the subject and distract herself from the growing pit in her stomach. “”You’ve got all of these bits and pieces here, but there’s a living creature downstairs.”

“Yeah. Yeah, well, I did ask, but he keeps it to himself.” Adam replied regretfully. He frowned slightly and continued, “Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comm. system.”

“Okay, let’s have a look.” Seren said, a smile on her face at Adam’s attempt at being impressive.

“It doesn't do much, the alien.’ Adam said as he went to his computer and began entering a series of commands. “It's weird. It's kind of useless. It's just like this great big pepper pot.”

Adam trailed off as they received visual of the Cage. A man wearing a full-body hazmat suit picked up a large drill and began drilling into the creature’s casing. The creature screamed in pain and Seren gasped, her hands flying to her chest as she felt the briefest flash of its pain.

“It’s being tortured!” Seren exclaimed in alarm as the flash of pain faded, though the creature continued screaming in agony. “Where’s the Doctor?”

“I don’t know.” Adam replied, eyes wide though he didn’t seem all that surprised at what he was witnessing.

“Take me down there.” Seren ordered, making her way to the door. “Now!” she added firmly when Adam didn’t move.

Adam jumped and followed her out of the workshop before leading her down to the Cage. Seren was silent the entire trip down, wondering where the Doctor was, if he was alright.

The pair got off the lift and entered the lobby outside the Cage.

“Hold it right there.” One of the guards ordered, standing up when he saw them.

“Level 3 access.” Adam said, flashing his ID card as the pair stalked through the room. “Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten.”

The guards and the technicians moved back and allowed the two of them into the Cage. They stopped short just inside as the last technician walked out.

“Don’t get too close.” Adam warned her as the door closed behind them.

Seren ignored him as she slowly walked forwards, toward the creature and peered into its eyestalk.

“Hello.” She said in concern, looking at him with large innocent eyes. “Are you still in pain? My name's Seren Jones. What's your name?”

_“Yes.”_ The lights on either side of the dome flashed as the creature replied.

“Yes, what?” Seren asked. “Are you still in pain?”

“ _I am in pain.”_ The creature said slowly, raising its eyestalk and looking at Seren. “ _They torture me, but still they fear me. Do you fear me?_ ”

“No.” Seren replied honestly.

“ _I am dying._ ” The creature said slowly lowering its eyestalk once more.

“No, we can help you.” Seren said shaking her head, not wanting to accept that the creature was going to die a prisoner.

“ _I welcome death. But I am glad… that before I die… I have met a human who was not afraid._ ”

At the creature’s words, Seren’s eyes filled with tears.

“Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?” she asked softly, looking into its eyestalk.

“ _My race is dead. I shall die alone._ ”

“You’re not alone.” Seren said softly, slowly raising her tiny hand and reaching for the creature’s head.

“Seren, no!” Adam cried.

Seren pulled her hand back just before she touched the creature’s head. There was a crash behind her as Adam made to move forwards but tripped over some of the equipment that was by his feet. The sudden noise startled Seren, making her jump as she whirled around to find the source of the noise, tripping on the creature’s chain and stumbling back into it. She caught herself on the creature, her tiny hand on its helmet as she straightened up and pulled herself away from it, glaring at Adam for making the sudden noise. She absently noticed her hand burning slightly after touching the creature.

Adam looked contrite, the expression fading into one of surprise as the place where Seren’s hand touched on the creature suddenly glowed bright golden-orange before fading. Seren moved back slowly, her own eyes wide as she wondered what she had just caused.

The creature became more animated as it turned slightly, facing the human and the Chosen One.

“ _Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!_ ”

Adam and Seren could only watch in horror as the creature broke its chains, sparks flying from it and casing minor explosions at the bases where the chains had been secured. One of the scientists entered the Cage, carrying his drill.

“What the hell have you done?” he asked, moving around them and stopping in front of the creature. The creature raised its sucker at him threateningly. “What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?”

The creature did exactly that, using the sucker to cover the human’s mouth and nose. The man screamed in agony as it created a vacuum inside the sucker, absorbing the human’s life force, killing him.

Adam pulled Seren out of the Cage and into the lobby.

“It’s killing him! Do something!” Seren yelled to the security guard, running to the monitor as they watched in horror.

The security guard did the only thing he could do, raise the alarm.

“ _Condition red! Condition red! I repeat, this is not a drill!_ ”

The announcement echoed through the bunker as the guard sealed the door to the Cage. The guards aimed their guns at the door as the comm. Screen behind Seren came to life.

_“You’ve got to keep it in that cell.”_ The Doctor said.

At the sound of the Time Lord’s voice, Seren turned and looked at the screen.

“Doctor, I’m so sorry.” She said, leaning against the table. A frown crossed her face as she took in the sweat that marred the ancient man’s face and the slightly weak voice he used. “Doctor, are you okay?”

“I've sealed the compartment.” The guard told the Doctor through the screen before the Time Lord could respond to Seren’s concerned question. “It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations.”

“ _A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat_.” The Doctor told them.

“And that’s exactly what it’s doing.” Seren said, her eyes catching sight of the keypad running through the combinations. “Look.”

Adam and the guard followed Seren’s line of sight and gasped in horror. Within seconds, the klaxon alarms blared in warning as the door to the Cage opened and the Dalek slowly made its way out.

“Open fire!” the guard ordered as he and the other guards fired their weapons on the approaching Dalek.

Seren and Adam stepped back towards the hallway, staying out of the way of the ricocheting bullets. The bullets did nothing to halt the Dalek.

“ _Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed_.” Van Statten ordered them, seeing the scene through the still live comm. feed.

_“Seren, get out of there!”_ The Doctor yelled frantically.

The guards kept firing their guns on the advancing Dalek, ignoring Van Statten’s order, until they emptied their clips.

“De Magio,” one of the guards said, turning to the woman beside him as they chagend the empty clips for full ones. “Take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?”

The guard decided that it was more beneficial to listen to the Doctor’s order rather than Van Statten’s order, since the latter’s would definitely end with them all dead while at least with the former’s, there was a chance for the one innocent person in this mess to get out alive - Seren.

The female guard, De Magio, clearly had the same thought as she nodded and turned to Seren and Adam.

“You two, with me.” She said, gesturing to them to follow her down the hall.

“What about the others?” Seren asked as her and Adam followed De Magio through the maze of corridors at a run.

“Right now, my job is to get you two out alive.” De Magio said, avoiding answering the Welshwoman’s question since she didn’t have an answer. “We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we signed up for this. Sort of, we didn’t exactly expect an alien, but we signed up for this. You didn’t.”

Seren glanced back towards the general area of the Cage one last time, sending up a prayer to all the deities she believed in for them to survive this sudden nightmare. The lights flickered around them as they ran before dying out completely and the emergency lights flickered on. As they ran down the corridor, a group of guards ran towards them from the opposite direction.

“Civilians! Let them through!” De Magio yelled as the guards separated from their formation, still running but allowing De Magio to lead the two through.

Once the three of them had passed, the guards took up positions with their weapons ready, some kneeling while others stood, and waiting for the Dalek to approach. Seren and Adam ran until they reached a flight of stairs, De Magio a few feet behind them.

Seren stopped at the foot of the stairs. Adam came up behind her, holding onto the railing and catching his breath; he wasn’t used to the intense running they had been doing and was out of breath.

“It’s coming! Get up!” De Magio screamed to them, pushing them up the stairs.

Seren ran up the stairs with Adam right behind her and De Magio bringing up the rear. They ran up one flight before stopping and turning to look at the approaching Dalek. It stopped at the foot of the stairs.

“Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs.” Adam said mockingly as the Dalek turned its eyestalk towards them.

“Don’t antagonize it.” Seren warned him, but he ignored her.

“Now listen to me.” De Magio ordered, raising her gun and pointing it down t at the Dalek. “I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mr. Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?”

“ _Ele-vate.”_ The Dalek said in lieu of a response.

Seren, De Magio and Adam could only watch in horrified dismay as the Dalek levitated and began gliding up the stairs.

“Oh _Duw_.” Seren breathed with wide eyes.

“Adam, get her out of here.” De Magio ordered Adam as the Dalek began ascending the flight of steps that led to them.

“What about you?” Seren asked, whirling around to look at the soldier with tears in her eyes. She stepped down, standing beside the American woman. “You can’t stop it, please come with us.”

“Someone’s gotta try.” De Magio said softly, looking at the beautiful woman who had tears in her eyes for a complete stranger. “Now get out!” she gently pushed Seren towards Adam. “Don’t look back! Just run!”

Adam and Seren ran up the stairs, hearing De Magio fire her weapon on the approaching alien. They had just turned into one of the corridors, running down as the klaxon lights flashed yellow, when they heard De Magio scream. They looked back as they ran but didn’t stop or falter. There was nothing they could do except follow her order to run.

They ran until they reached the loading bay, scrambling to a stop when they caught sight of the weapons aimed at them. What got to Seren was that it wasn’t only security and army personnel that had the weapons, but those who were clearly civilians – lawyers, scientists, everyone had a weapon and was prepared to fight the approaching Dalek.

“Hold your fire!” the Commander ordered. “You two, get the hell out of there!”

Seren and Adam needed no further prompting to resume their run, running past a guard and stopping in the doorway of the entrance to watch as the Dalek approached. The Dalek turned and zoomed in on Seren’s face as Adam grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the bay.

“It looked at me.” Seren said, pulling Adam to a stop, her hand still in his.

“Yeah, it wants to slaughter us.” Adam reminded her, tugging her away from the Loading Bay.

“I know,” Seren said, pulling her hand from his and making him look at her. “But it looked right at me.”

“So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around.” Adam said frantically, panting from exertion.

“I don’t know.” Seren said with a contemplative frown. “It’s as if there’s something inside the armor. Something that’s looking at me, like it _knows_ me.”

“Look. Once that Dalek is done killing everyone in the loading bay, it’s gonna come after us. Can we go back to running for our lives now? Please?” Adam pleaded with her.

“Good point. Let’s go.” Seren said as they began running once more.

They ran until they reached another stairwell, wasting no time to run up, using the railing to propel themselves upwards.

Seren’s phone rang, ‘Ode to Joy’ echoing through the stairwell.

“Yeah, this really isn’t the best time.” Seren said once she answered the call.

_“Where are you?”_ the Doctor asked.

“Level… 49.” Seren replied, pausing briefly to find the floor number they were on.

_“You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level 46.”_

“You’re the one sealing them?” Seren asked.

_“Yeah, I am. I can’t stop and I can’t help you. Now for God’s sake, run_!”

“Running.” Seren said into the phone before calling up to Adam who was a few steps ahead of her, “We’ve got to get to Level 46, the vault’s being sealed off.”

He nodded and the two of them increased their speed as much as possible, adrenaline pumping through them as they ran.

“Where are you?? The Doctor asked as they exited the stairwell on Level 46 and began running towards the bulkhead doors.

“We’re nearly there. Just two seconds.” Seren said, the phone held to her ear.

They turned the last corner as the klaxon alarms sounded, the bulkhead doors slowly lowering.

“Come on!” Adam yelled, putting on a burst of speed and rolling under the doors with Seren right behind him.

_“Seren, where are you! Seren, did you make it?”_ The Doctor asked frantically as the klaxons stopped sounding their alarm.

“I was a tad too slow.” Seren said softly, resting her head against the sealed doors, Adam on the other side. She turned and watched as the Dalek turned the corner. “Listen, I don’t know if I can survive a Dalek’s weapon fire, but it wasn’t your fault. Remember that, okay?” her voice trembled as she heard the Dalek approach. Tears streamed down her face in rivers of silver as she continued, “And I want you to know, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Tell Rose, Aunt Jackie, Mickey, Siwan and the others that I love them, okay.” She heard the Dalek behind her and said, “See you, my mad man.”

She ended the call and turned around to face the Dalek. If she was going to meet her final death because of a Dalek, then she was going to damn well make sure it looked her in the eyes as it killed her.

“ _Exterminate!”_ the Dalek said as it aimed its gun arm at her and fired with a ‘zap!’

Seren could only watch in shock as the Dalek altered its aim at the last second and hit the bulkhead door instead of her.

“Go on then.” Seren said to it. It stared at her through its eyestalk. “You said you’d kill me, so do it. Why are you hesitating?”

_“I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose.”_ The Dalek said.

“They’re all dead because of you!” Seren yelled, suddenly very angry. Tears of anger and sorrow streamed down her face, unchecked as she glared at the Dalek in front of her.

_“They are dead because of_ us.” It corrected her.

“And now what? What are you waiting for?” Seren asked angrily.

_“I feel your fear.”_ It said.

“What do you expect?” Seren asked. “You killed nearly everyone on this base. Good people, those that had nothing to do with your imprisonment and torture.”

“Daleks do not fear. Must not fear.” The Dalek said before shooting the bulkhead door on either side of the Chosen One.

Seren flinched at the sound, remembering what it was prelude to for all the people that were unfortunate enough to have faced the Dalek.

“ _You gave me life. What else have you given me?”_ The Dalek asked in confusion, slightly hysterical. _“I am contaminated!_ ”

The Dalek glided towards her, pushing her forwards until she was standing in front of its gun arm like a hostage. It activated the camera and the visual feed to Van Statten’s office.

“ _Open the bulkhead doors or Seren Jones dies_.” The Dalek said, causing the Doctor to whirl around and look at the screen.

“You’re alive!” He breathed in relief, a wide smile crossing his face.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Seren said with a smile, shifting slightly as she felt the gun arm poke into her back.

“I thought you were dead.” The Doctor admitted.

“Not happening.” Seren replied.

“Open the bulkhead!” the Dalek repeated its order.

“Don’t do it, Doctor!” Seren yelled firmly as she saw the Doctor’s tormented expression.

_“What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?”_ the Dalek asked.

As the Doctor walked away from the screen, Seren looked at the Dalek with wide eyes, its words playing over in her mind, as if they were on a loop.

‘ _The Doctor loves me?_ ’ she thought as the bulkhead doors opened and her and the Dalek went through.

She was silent as her and her captor walked down the corridor towards the lift. The silence remained as they entered the lift and began their ascent up to Van Statten’s office, the atmosphere utterly tense.

The Dalek’s gun arm twitched, Seren watching it wearily.

“Don’t kill them, please.” Seren pleaded, breaking the tense silence and looking at the Dalek. “I’m begging you, please don’t kill them you didn’t kill me.”

_“But why not?”_ the Dalek asked, spinning its eyestalk around so fast that she had to duck to avoid having being hit in the head _. “Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?_ ”

“I don’t know.” Seren replied softly as the indicator showed that they were almost at Van Statten’s office.

It took her genetic material and extrapolated it, but what else did it get from her? Why didn’t it kill her when it didn’t hesitate to kill everyone else on the base?

These questions ran through her mind as the doors opened into Van Statten’s office, the Dalek in front of her.

“Don’t move! Nobody do anything!” Seren yelled to Van Statten, the only person she could see from her position behind the Dalek, but loud enough for her to be heard by anyone else that was in the office. “It’s beginning to question itself.”

_“Van Statten.”_ The Dalek said, gliding forwards and stopping in front of the human that had caged and tortured him for so long. “ _You tortured me. Why?”_

“I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know.” Van Statted replied, stammering and walking back towards the wall in terror. “I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!”

_“Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate_!” It cried and Van Statten flinched, whimpering as the Dalek raised its gun arm and aimed at the cruel human.

“Don’t do it!” Seren yelled, running forwards and stopping beside the Dalek. “Don't kill him, please!” the Dalek spun its eyestalk around and looked at the desperate Welshwoman. “You don't have to kill anymore. There must be something else, something other than killing that you want. What else is there? What do you want?”

The Dalek turned to look at Van Statten, who whimpered in fear, before it turned back to look at the Chosen One.

_“I want… freedom.”_ It replied slowly.

“Okay, let’s go.” Seren said, nodding. “Let’s get you to freedom.”

She opened the door and stepped back, letting the Dalek glide out before following behind. They went down the corridor and turned around a corner. She ducked as the Dalek blasted a hole in the ceiling, letting a stream of sunlight in. The life-giving beam streamed directly down onto the Dalek’s eyestalk.

“That’s it. You’re out.” Seren said, looking at the Dalek for a moment before turning towards the sunlight, letting the stream bathe her in its warmth. She closed her eyes, tilting her head upwards and baring her neck to the light. “I never thought I would feel the sunlight again.”

“How… does… it… feel?” The Dalek asked.

Seren’s eyes flew open and she looked at the Dalek in surprise. It slowly opened its middle and dome sections with a hiss, revealing the one-eyed mutated squid-like creature inside. It slowly held out a tendril towards the shaft of sunlight as Seren watched.

“Get out of the way!”

The sound of the Doctor’s voice made Seren jump as she spun around to look at the Time Lord. She was taken aback at the sight of him holding a big gun, aimed at the Dalek.

“Seren, get out of the way, now!” The Doctor growled when she didn’t move, staring at him in shock.

“No.” Seren said, shaking her head. “I won’t let you kill it.”

“That thing killed hundreds of people. It nearly killed _you_.” The Doctor growled hatefully.

“ _You’re_ the one pointing a gun at me right now.” Seren reminded him firmly.

“Seren, I’ve got to do this.” He said, tears in his eyes as he fought to keep them at bay. “I’ve got to end it. The Dalek’s destroyed my home, my people, everyone and everything I ever knew. I’ve got to end it, once and for all. I’ve got nothing left.”

The pain and anguish in his voice and on his face reminded Seren of everything the mad man in front of her had lost, and his habit of using his maniacal grin to mask his pain at the loss.

“Before you kill it, can you do one thing for me?” Seren asked, playing on a hunch and hoping that it would work.

“What?” he asked with a frown.

“Look at it.” She replied simply, moving away and letting him see the Dalek. The Dalek was basking in the warm rays of the golden sunlight that streamed in through the hole in the ceiling.

“What’s it doing?” the Doctor asked in confusion, lowering the gun slightly.

“It’s feeling the sunlight. That’s all it wants now.” Seren explained.

“But it can’t.” The Doctor whispered in disbelief, shaken at the sight of his most hated enemy doing something that shouldn’t be possible.

“It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me. It's changing.” Seren told the Time Lord, trying to get him to see that the creature he was adamant to kill was no longer the one that had destroyed his world and his people. “What about you?”

The Doctor lowered the gun, an utterly lost expression on his face as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him.

“I couldn't… I wasn't….” he started shakily, losing the battle against his tears as they streamed down his cheeks, unchecked. “Oh, Seren. They're all dead.” The gun fell to the ground with a clatter.

_"Why do we survive?"_ The Dalek asked, making Seren and the Doctor look at it.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor replied softly.

_“I am the last of the Daleks.”_

“You're not even that. Seren did more than regenerate you.” The Doctor said, making Seren look at him in surprise. “You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating.”

_“Into what?”_

“Something new. I’m sorry.” The Doctor replied, genuinely apologetic.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Seren asked, confused by the apology the Doctor gave the Dalek.

“Not for a Dalek.” The Doctor replied.

_“I can feel so many ideas…”_ The Dalek said, making Seren turn to look at it. “ _So much darkness… Seren, give me orders... Order me to die.”_

“I can’t.” Seren said, tears filling her own eyes as she shook her head.

_“This is not life. This is… sickness. I shall… not be… like you.”_ As the Dalek spoke, Seren’s face contorted in pain and pity, listening to the creature’s words. _“Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!”_

For a long moment, Seren stared at the Dalek, flailing its tendrils, before finally saying, “Do it.”

_“Are you frightened, Seren Jones?”_

“Yes.” Seren replied quietly, a single tear running down her pale-white rose-dusted cheek.

_“So am I.”_ The Dalek admitted. “ _Exterminate.”_

Seren ran back towards the Doctor and he held her in his arms as they watched the Dalek close its body armor once more and rise into the air. The golden-bronze orbs along its lower body detached and surrounded it in a perfect spherical force field. It glowed for a single moments before exploding within the sphere and vanishing completely, leaving no sign or trace it had ever existed.

The Doctor stared at the place it had exploded, completely stunned. Seren reached out and took his hand, gently guiding the stunned man back towards the lift. He didn’t fight her grip, merely leaning into it as he drew comfort from the tiny woman as they rode the lift down to the museum in silence.

“I’m sorry.” He said finally, when they were about half-way down to the museum.

“For what?” she asked, looking up at him with large orbs.

“For holding a gun at you, for starters.” He said, putting his arm around her and looking down at her face.

“Well, if I were in your position, I probably would’ve done the same.” Seren replied, wrapping her arms around his broad waist and squeezing gently as she looked up at him. “So, you’re forgiven. But if you ever do that again, then there’ll be hell to pay.”

She gave her warning with a stern expression on her face, the same one she had often used on Johnny, Rhys and their friends when they were young.

“Duly noted.” The Doctor said with a laugh as the lift doors opened and they stepped out into the dimly lit museum.

They walked back to the TARDIS, arms still wrapped around each other before separating when they reached the sentient blue box.

“Little piece of home.” The Doctor said softly, putting a hand on the TARDIS’ side panel. “Still, better than nothing.”

“I guess this means it’s the end of the Time War. For good this time.” Seren stated softly, putting her own hand on the TARDIS’ side panel, right next to the Doctor’s larger hand.

“I'm the only one left.” The Doctor replied, nodding. “I win. How about that?” He laughed mockingly.

“Maybe some of your people survived.” Seren suggested softly. “I mean, the Dalek did. So couldn’t yours as well?”

“I’d know.” The Doctor said softly. “In here.” With his free hand, he tapped his temple. “Feels like there’s no one.”

”Then it’s a good thing that I’m not planning on going anywhere.” Seren said with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling.

“Yeah.” He said, nodding as he gently covered her tiny hand with his larger one.

The moment between them was broken when Adam jogged up to them, a bag in his hand. They both dropped their hands to their sides, turning to look at the boy.

“We’d better get out.” Adam said, looking at them. “Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed.”

“It’s about time.” Seren muttered as the Doctor nodded in agreement. The sooner this place was shut down, the happier he’ll be.

“I’ll have to go back home.” Adam said, his eyes wide in realization as an expression akin to horror crossed his face.

“Better hurry up then.” The Doctor said to Adam. “Next flight to Heathrow leaves at” he glanced at his watch, “1500 hours.”

“Adam was telling me earlier that he’d wanted to see the stars all his life.” Seren hinted, looking pointedly at the Time Lord.

“Tell him to go and stand outside, then.” The Doctor replied coolly.

“He’s on his own.” Seren said softly. “And he _did_ help.”

“He left you down there.” The Doctor reminded her.

“You were the one closing the doors.” Seren reminded _him_.

“What are you talking about?” Adam exclaimed, looking between the two in complete confusion. “We need to leave.”

“Plus, he's a bit pretty.” The Doctor said with a pointed smirk. He had noticed that Adam had a bit of a crush on Seren.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Seren replied, glancing at Adam briefly before looking back at the Time Lord. “Besides, he’s not my type.”

The Doctor shook his head and rolled his eyes. And the woman says Siwan was the oblivious one when it came to people having crushes on her.

“On your own head.” He said with a sigh, turning and unlocking the TARDIS door.

“What're you doing?” Adam asked, watching as the two of them entered the blue box, leaving him standing outside. “She said cement! She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in.” He walked over to the TARDIS. “Doctor, what are you doing standing inside a box? Seren?”

He slowly opened the door and crept inside, the TARDIS dematerializing as soon as the door closed behind him.

_ Links: _

_*Seren outfit -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477260413/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477260413/)


	9. The Long Game

**The Long Game**

The TARDIS materialized in a secluded corner with her typical wheezing noise and the Doctor and Seren stepped outside on to the platform. Seren gently closed the door behind her.

Seren was dressed in a light purple halter-neck backless bandana top with white slim-fit jeans and light purple 5” high heeled peep-toe ankle-strapped sandals with a pair of gold hoop earrings in her ears and a gold charm bracelet on her right wrist, a tan colored handbag hanging off her left elbow*. Her long curls were held back with a Dutch infinity braid headband* and falling down to her hips in large loose curls. The Doctor was dressed in his typical outfit, this time a dark green jumper beneath his leather jacket.

“So, it's 200 000, and it's a spaceship.” The Doctor said to Seren as she listened closely. “No, wait a minute, space station, and er,” he glanced around before pointing in a certain direction. “Go and try that gate over there. Off you go.”

Seren nodded in understanding and turned back to the TARDIS, her hand on the door.

“Hold on, why am I doing this?” She asked, just before opening the door.

“It’s your turn to do the talking.” He replied smiling as he leaned against the TARDIS.

“Okay.” Seren said with a slight giggle as she opened the door to let their remaining passenger out. “Adam? Come on out.”

Adam stepped out dressed in a brown t-shirt under a white spring jacket, blue jeans and trainers. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the Observation Deck they were standing on.

“Oh my God.” He breathed, utterly gob-smacked.

“You get used to it after a while.” Seren reassured him, taking in his speechless expression.

“Where are we?” Adam asked faintly, looking around in wonder and amazement.

“Good question.” Seren said as she glanced at the Doctor, who gave her an encouraging nod. “Let’s see.” She looked around, a pondering expression on her face. “Judging by the architecture, I’d say we’re around the year 200,000.” Adam nodded faintly and mumbled his understanding, still boggled by the magnitude of the little he had seen. “And if you listen,” she paused for a moment to listen. “Engines.” She looked back at him. “We’re on some sort of space station.” She paused for a moment. “Yeah, definitely a space station.” She continued, nodding. “It’s a bit warm in here. They could turn the heating down.” She fanned her face at the heat before pointing to the gate that the Doctor had pointed out to her. “Tell you what – let’s try that gate. Come on!”

Seren ran over to the metal gate and opened it, the Doctor half a step behind her and Adam following a few seconds later. Seren led the two through the gate and up the steps behind it to the massive viewing window that was behind it.

“Here we go!” she said with cheerful excitement as her and the Doctor stood beside each other with Adam just behind them. “And this is…” she trailed off as she took in the magnificent sight before her, unable to find the words to describe it. “I’ll let the Doctor describe it.”

“The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at its height.” The Doctor said proudly, crossing his arms over his chest as they looked down at the planet below. The Earth, Seren’s home and likely were Siwan currently was, if she had Chosen the path of immortality like Seren had done. “Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle.”

Adam, who had been nodding along with the Doctor’s explanation, fainted with a sigh, collapsing in a heap behind them.

“Can we ditch him?’ the Doctor asked, not even glancing at the boy.

“No, Doctor.” Seren said, rolling her eyes at the ancient man beside her.

She gave one last glance out of the viewing window and turned to look at Adam. She crouched beside him and checked his pulse, finding it strong. She gently tapped his face, rousing him from his unconscious state.

He came to with a groan, sitting up and holding his head.

“Ugh, my head.” He groaned. What happened?”

“You fainted.” The Doctor replied, turning around and looked at him, a very unimpressed look on his face.

“Come on.” Seren said, rising from her crouch and holding a hand out to Adam, helping him up with strength that belied her tiny frame.

They returned to the Observation Deck and the Doctor put an arm around each Companion as they walked.

“Come on, Adam. Open your mind.” The Doctor said as they waked passed the alcove they parked the TARDIS in. “You're going to like this - fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent - culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners…”

“Out of the way!” a man yelled rudely, interrupting the Doctor as the trio stopped short and stared as a bell rang the deck began bustling with activity where only a few moments earlier had been completely devoid of life.

“Spoke to soon, Doctor.” Seren commented with a smirk at the ancient man as they watched as people suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and opened up food vending stations, serving customers that began lining up at their counters. The Doctor looked completely taken aback.

“Thank you very much indeed.” A chef said to one of his customers. “Somebody there?”

“That’s great. What do you want, love?” another said to a customer. “All right, keep it moving.”

“One at a time.” Another warned his queued customers. “What now, what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajatos.” The vendor turned and got the order ready, turning back to his customer. “Do you want a drink?” he called further down the queue to a customer that was pushing and fighting with another person. “Oi, you, mate. Stop pushing! Get back. I said, back.”

“Fine cuisine?” Seren asked, wrinkling her button nose slightly at the scent of the food. It reminded her of the fast food restaurants that she used to frequent when working late.

“My watch must be wrong.” The Doctor said with a frown, looking at his watch. “No, it’s fine.” He looked back at the hustle and bustle that surrounded them. “It’s weird.”

“That’s what you get from showing off.” Seren told him with a smile. “Your history isn’t as good as you thought it was.”

“My history’s perfect.” He whined defensively.

“Clearly not.” Seren muttered with a smirk.

“They're all human.” Adam said slowly, walking forwards slightly as he looked around at the people. “What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?”

“Good question.” The Doctor muttered, nodding before looking at Adam. “Actually, that _is_ a good question.” He put a jovial arm around Adam as he spoke, squeezing the boy’s shoulder. ”Adam, me old mate, you must be starving.”

“No, I'm just a bit time sick.” Adam stuttered, slightly taken aback by the sudden shift in attitude.

“No, you just need a bit of grub.” The Doctor said and went to the nearest vendor and asked, “Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?”

“Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue.” He replied, gesturing to the queue as the Doctor nodded.

“Money. We need money. Let’s use a cashpoint.” The Time Lord said.

“We always need money.” Seren said, rolling her eyes as the Doctor led them to a Credit Five cashpoint. “You should consider getting a job.”

“A job?” the Doctor repeated with a horrified expression. “Never.” He turned to the cashpoint and began using his sonic screwdriver on it. A few seconds later, it produced a cash card that looked like a metal strip. “Here you go, pocket money.” He handed the card to Adam, who took with amazement. “Don’t spend it all on sweets.”

He turned and began walking away as Adam turned the cash card over in his hand, examining it.

“How does it work?” Adam asked to the Doctor’s retreating back.

“Go and find out. Stop nagging me.” The Doctor replied with an exasperated sigh. “The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in - eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers… Or is that just me?” Seren laughed as the Doctor spoke. “Stop asking questions, go and do it!”

Adam nodded and walked away, blending into the crowd.

“What are you doing?” Seren asked the Time Lord as soon as Adam was out of hearing range, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning at him.

“You brought him, you babysit him.” He replied, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding the question.

“That wasn’t what I asked.” Seren said, looking up at him.

To the Time Lord, it was as if she was gazing right into his soul and he looked away, unable to look into her expressive orbs.

“Look, I wasn’t the one who wanted him to come along. You did.” The Doctor said defensively, looking back at her a few seconds later.

“I was trying to make up for being rude to him.” Seren explained in frustration. “And why are you being so – so rude to him?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” The Doctor replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“The way you talk to him!” Seren exclaimed. “You keep bashing on him whenever he’s not around.” He opened his mouth to retort and she held up a perfectly manicured finger. “And don’t say it’s like who you talk to Mickey. The way you treat Adam is vastly different and you know it.”

“I do not treat him any differently. If he wanted to see the stars, he should have joined NASA.” The Doctor muttered.

“That! That’s what I’m talking about!” Seren exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. “You’re acting like a jealous child or something.” She shook her head. “You know what? Forget it.” She threw her hands up in exasperation, turning away from him. “I’ll go babysit while you investigate.”

Before he could say anything, she stalked off, blending into the crowd within seconds. The Doctor sighed and turned away as well, putting his hands in his pockets. As he walked away, he wondered if he really was behaving like a jealous child. He shook his head, not wanting to pursue that line of thought, knowing it would only lead to dangerous waters – to the feelings he was trying not to think about.

Seren muttered to herself as she searched for Adam in the crowd.

_"All staff are reminded that the canteen area now operates a self-cleaning table system. Thank you!"_

She caught sight of Adam sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by other people. They were all eating at a slightly rapid pace while Adam unobtrusively observed them. She headed towards him, coming to a stop next to the table.

“Adam, can you pass me the credit stick, please?” she asked, holding her hand out to him. He nodded and handed it to her, still looking slightly amazed.

Seren smiled gently at him, her irritation fading. She went to a vendor and purchased a drink before returning to Adam.

“Try this.” She said, holding the cup out to him. He looked at it before looking up at her with a questioning look on his face. “It’s called 'Zaphic’. It’s nice, almost like a Slush Puppy.”

“What flavor?” he asked, now looking curiously.

“Good question.” Seren said, taking a sip as she sat down across from him. She had to hold back her reflexive gag at the taste as she looked at him. “Kind of like beef, I think.”

“Oh, my God.” Adam moaned. Seren laughed lightly as he shook his head. “It’s like everything’s gone.” Seren’s smile faded as she listened to his realization. “Home. Family. Everything.”

Seren looked at him in concern, taking her mobile out from her purse and looking at it for a moment before showing it to Adam.

“This helps with the homesickness.” She said softly, understandingly. “The Doctor gave it a top-up. Who’s at home? Your parents?”

“Yeah.” Adam replied slowly, nodding his head.

“Here.” She said, handing him the mobile. “Phone them, talk to them.”

As he took the mobile, Seren got a bad feeling but pushed it aside, knowing how difficult the transition between the simple and ordinary life on Earth and the extraordinary life on the TARDIS can be.

“But that’s 198 000 years ago.” Adam protested, looking at the mobile and then back at the beautiful woman sitting across from him.

“Honestly, just try it. You’ll be surprised.”

“Is there a code for Planet Earth?”

“Just dial!” Seren said exasperated.

He rolled his eyes and dialed, not expecting anything to happen as he put the mobile to his ear. As it rang, he looked at her with wide eyes and she smiled encouragingly at him.

There was no answer, and they got the answering machine.

_“I'm sorry we're not in.”_

“It’s on!” Adam exclaimed, looking at her in amazement.

_“Please leave a message. Thanks. Bye.”_

When the tone sounded, Adam looked at her nervously, not sure what to say. Seren nodded at him encouragingly.

“Hi. It's . . . it's me. I've sort of gone . . . travelling. I met these people . . . and we've gone travelling together. But, um . . . I'm fine . . . and I'll call you later. Love you. Bye.” He hung up the phone and looked at her in glee. “That’s just -”

Before Adam could finish his sentence, an alarm sounded. They watched in surprised confusion as everyone around them immediately began packing up their belongings and leaving the canteen area. The vendors also began closing up their stalls.

The Doctor turned around and looked at them, pausing his conversation with Cathica and Suki.

“Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!” he called, beaming at them.

Seren stood up and grabbed her purse, joining him while Adam pocketed her mobile and joined them at a slightly more sedate pace.

The Doctor introduced Seren and Adam to his new friends and the pair led the time-traveling trio to a nearby Newsroom.

The room was almost sterile with the spars décor and white coloring. Suki took a seat in an open space at an octagonal desk around a central chair with wires attached to it, with six other people sitting around the desk as well. Each space had a pair of palm-prints.

The Doctor, Seren and Adam stood to the side behind a railing, the two Companions on either side of the Time Lord. They watched as Cathica walked forward slightly.

“Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection.” She said, before turning to the Doctor and asking, “How do you want it, by the book?”

 

“Right from scratch, thanks.” The Doctor replied with a nod and she turned to her colleagues. The Doctor and Seren smirked at each other, taking note of the woman’s eager desire to impress them.

“Okay.” She said. “So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot, - my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni.” She turned to her observers. “That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please do.” The Doctor nodded as the woman continued, “Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy.”

“Actually, it’s the law.” Suki pointed out with a gentle smile on her expressive face.

“Yes, thank you, Suki.” Cathica snapped at the woman, wiping the smile off her face. “Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go.” She settled into the central chair. “And…engage safety.” Her seven colleagues held their palms out over the palm-prints in front of them. Lights began coming on around the room, the four time travellers looking around briefly before turning back to Cathica as she snapped her fingers. A portal opened in her forehead and the seven put their hands into the palm-prints one after another. “And three, two, and spike.”

A beam of light shone directly into her portal. Seren and Adam stared at Cathica, Seren with slightly disgusted horror on her face as Adam leaned in for a closer look. The boy had an amazed look on his face, naturally having never seen anything of the sort.

“Compressed information, streaming into her.” The Doctor explained to the two Companions. “Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer.”

“How does her mind not explode from all the information?” Seren asked, worried for the woman.

Her brain’s the processor.” The Doctor replied, moving to walk around the octagonal platform. “As soon as it closes…”

“She forgets.” Seren finished the sentence, nodding in understanding as she followed the Doctor around the platform. “And all these people around the platform edge?” She stopped between two of the employees and crouched between them. She didn’t receive any form of acknowledgement from the people she was looking at.

““They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place.” The Doctor explained, completing his circuit around the room and leaning back against the railing.

“Talk about having power.” Seren muttered as she stood beside her friend, glancing up at Adam who looked peaky and overwhelmed. “Are you okay?”

“I can see her brain.” He replied faintly, his gaze trained firmly on the woman in the middle of the room.

“Do you want to get out?” she asked, turning around to look at him properly.

“No. No,” Adam replied, shaking his head and leaning his hands on the railing. “This technology’s amazing.”

“This technology’s wrong.” The Doctor refuted.

“Trouble?” Seren asked, looking at him.

“Oh, yeah.” The Doctor replied with a wide smile, looking down at his beautiful and feisty Companion.

Seren grinned excitedly while Adam looked between them in confusion.

There was a slight shuddering sound and Suki twitched slightly. Suddenly, she gasped and pulled her hands away from the pads as if she had received an electric shock. The other six slowly lifted their hands from their pads and the information beam shut down. Cathica’s portal closed and she blinked a few times as if to adjust.

“Come off it, Suki. I wasn’t even halfway.” Cathica said in annoyance as she sat up slightly and looked at the shorter woman. “What was that for?”

“Sorry.” She replied weakly, rubbing her palm slightly. “It must’ve been a glitch.”

“Oh.” Cathica sighed and got off the chair.

 _“Promotion!”_ a loudspeaker announced.

Everyone in the room turned towards a projection that lit up one wall, with the word lighting up as well.

“Come on! This is it. Come on! Oh God, make it me. Come on, say my name,” Cathica prayed, as the three time travelers glanced at her in mild concern. “Say my name, say my name…”

 _“Promotion for… Suki Macrae Cantrell.”_ Suki’s jaw dropped as Cathica’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “ _Please proceed to Floor 500_.”

“I don’t believe it!” Suki breathed as she stood up slowly and stared at the projection that had her name written in large letters. “Floor 500!”

“How the hell did you manage that?” Cathica demanded. “I'm above you!”

“I just applied on the off chance. And they’ve said yes!” she squealed excitedly.

“That’s not fair.” Cathica frowned petulantly as she crossed her arms. “I’ve been applying to Floor 500 for three years.”

“What’s Floor 500?” Seren asked the Doctor quietly as Adam leaned over slightly to hear the response as well.

“The walls are made of gold.” He replied absently, watching the reactions of the Journalists with a slight frown on his face.

Seren frowned at the answer, it sounded like complete nonsense. And coming from a woman who was a Chosen One of the Mara and grew up in Cardiff, on top of the Rift in Time and Space that ran through it, that was saying something.

Suki and Cathica left the Newsroom, followed by the Doctor, Seren and Adam. After a quick stop at Suki’s quarters for the newly promoted Journalist to pack her bags, they made their way to the lift that would take her up to her new floor.

“Cathica, I’m going to miss you!” Suki said as she hugged Cathica tightly before letting go and turning to the Doctor. “Floor 500! Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.” The Doctor told her, shrugging slightly, his hands in his pockets.

“Well, you’re my lucky charm.” She told them with a sweet smile and excited laugh.

“All right. I’ll hug anyone.” The Doctor said cheerfully as Suki hugged him tightly, returning the hug with equal fervor. Cathica stubbornly refused to look at Suki, still upset at not receiving the promotion she was so eagerly hoping for.

Seren noticed Adam sitting to the side and leaning against a pillar, a short way away and looking slightly sick.

“Come on. It’s not that bad.” Seren said walking over to him and drawing his attention to her.

"What, with the . . . the head thing?" Adam asked as he circled his finger around the middle of his forehead.

“Well, she’s closed it now.” Seren reminded him.

While Adam wasn’t used to seeing a person’s brain, as well as being new to time travelling, Seren used to work at a hospital while she was in high school. She also was a trained First Responder, so she had dealt with her fair share of unpleasantness when it came to the body; everything from vomit to actual guts and entrails she’s dealt with, so seeing a person’s brain through a portal in their forehead wasn’t too shocking – though seeing the portal itself was a surprise.

“Yeah, but... It's everything.” Adam told her quietly as he admitted what he was feeling. “It freaks me out. And I just need to…. If I could just…” he struggled to find the words to express himself. “…cool down. Sort of acclimatise.” Seren crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him. “Maybe… I could just go and sit on the observation deck. Would that be all right? Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year 200 000.”

“Maybe I should come with you.” Seren said softly, a slight frown on her face. She was starting to get a bad feeling again, and she wanted to keep an eye on the boy – after all, she was the one tasked with babysitting him.

“No, no, you stick with the Doctor.” Adam replied. “You'd rather be with him. It's going to take a better man than me to get between you two. Anyway, I'll be on the deck.”

Seren nodded in response, not sure how to reply to his clear admission of the crush he had on her. The crush she hadn’t even realized he had.

“If it gets too much, just wait by the TARDIS, okay?” She told him as he stood up.

He nodded and walked away, Seren watching him disappear into the crowd. She crossed her arms over her chest, squeezing herself slightly as she tried to shake off the strange feeling she felt when Adam basically admitted to his crush on her. She didn’t know what it was, but there was something about him that was beginning to put him on edge.

_“All staff are reminded that the 1640 break session has been shortened by 10 minutes. Thank you.”_

The announcement jarred Seren from her thoughts and she began making her way back to the Doctor, Suki and Cathica.

“Oh, my God, I’ve got to go!” Suki exclaimed, grabbing her bag as Seren rejoined them.

The Doctor glanced at her briefly before turning his gaze on Suki, he and Seren watching in amusement while Cathica looked on with a bitter expression marring her exotic features.

“I can't keep them waiting.” She got into the lift and turned to face them. “I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!”

The lift door closed and they watched the Floor Indicator above the lift show its slow ascent to Floor 500.

“Good riddance!” Cathica muttered with her arms crossed, making the two time travelers turn to her in surprise.

“You’re talking like you’ll never see her again.” The Doctor said. “She’s only going upstairs.”

“We won’t.” Cathica told them, looking at the lift. “Once you go to Floor 500, you never come back.”

The Doctor and Seren looked back at the lift, identical frowns on their faces.

“Have you ever been up there?” The Doctor asked as they began making their way back through the canteen. Seren had her arm looped through the Doctor’s with Cathica on his other side.

“I can’t.” She replied bitterly. “You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few.”

The two time travelers followed Cathica back to the Newsroom, the Doctor peppering her with questions about the Satellite and the company.

“Look, they only give us 20 minutes maintenance.” Cathica said, grabbing a clipboard as they entered the room. “Can’t you give it a rest?”

“But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?” the Doctor probed, sitting on the broadcast chair and making himself comfortable as Seren leaned against the back of it.

“I went to Floor 16 when I first arrived. That’s medical. That’s where I got my head done, and then I came straight here.” She replied, kneeling next to the seat Suki had been at. “Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor.” She made a few notes on her clipboard as she continued, “That’s it, that’s all.” She shrugged slightly and turned to look up at them, slowly standing up. “You’re not Management, are you?”

“At last! She’s clever!” the Doctor exclaimed sarcastically as Seren stifled her own giggle and smirked at the tall exotic woman.

“Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything.” She said firmly after a short pause, and going back to making notes on her clipboard as she looked at each seat and palm-print.

“Don’t you even ask?” Seren asked, as they watched her work.

“Well, why would I?” Cathica asked in response, shrugging as she continued with her work.

“Because you're a journalist!” Seren replied slowly, making Cathica look at them.

“Why's all the crew human?” the Doctor asked.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Cathica asked.

“There's no aliens on board.” He said. “Why?”

“I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything.”

The Doctor looked around the room theatrically as Seren narrowed her large eyes at Cathica, watching her closely.

“Then where are they?” the Doctor asked, turning to Cathica.

“I suppose immigration's tightened up.” She replied slightly stumped, before adding defensively, “It's had to, what with all the threats.”

“What threats?” Seren probed curiously.

“I don’t know – all of them. Usual stuff.” Cathica said with a slight shrug. “And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away...” she looked lost as she continued giving reasons, the two visitors watching her intently. “Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see.” She paused for a moment before returning to her clipboard and maintenance. “Just… lots of little reasons, that's all.”

“Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn’t even notice.” The Doctor said, making the woman turn to them.

“Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything.”

“We can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology.” The Doctor told her.

“It’s cutting edge!” Cathica ground out defensively, gritting her teeth.

“It’s backwards. There’s a great big door in your head!” the Doctor pointed out. “You should’ve chucked this out years ago.”

“So what do you think is going on?” Seren asked the Time Lord, making him turn to her as she expertly prevented him from pissing off their tour guide.

“It’s not just this space station, it’s the whole attitude. It’s the way the people think.” The Doctor replied with a frown. “The Great and Bountiful Human Empire has been stunted. Something’s holding it back.”

“And how would you know?” Cathica asked with narrowed eyes, making the two look at her.

“Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years - when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?” the Doctor asked her.

“91 years ago.” She replied as the Doctor nodded.

Cathica looked away, a thoughtful look on her face as she unintentionally began to think about everything she had learned.

“Right, then.” He said cheerfully, as he got up from the chair. “Off we go!”

“Go? Go where? Where are you going?” Cathica asked, firing of a series of questions as the two turned to leave the room.

“Find out what’s going on.” The Doctor replied, glancing back at the Journalist as they walked out of the Newsroom.

Cathica followed them a few minutes later, grumbling under her breath.

“Is there a mainframe?” The Doctor asked her once she caught up with them.

“Yeah. It’s down this corridor and to the left, in an alcove.” Cathica replied, pointing down the corridor that was bustling with activity. “Behind a pair of double doors. Why?”

“Great. Let’s go.” The Doctor said cheerfully, ignoring the question, as he led the two women to the double doors Cathica was pointing to.

He took out his screwdriver and began scanning the double doors.

“We are so gonna get in trouble!” Cathica moaned. She looked around in worry before turning back to whisper. “You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off.”

“Seren, tell her to button it.” The Doctor ordered, not looking away from his task.

“You can't just vandalise the place.” Cathica hissed. “Someone's going to notice!”

The Doctor pulled the doors open and looked at the wiring. He began poking and prodding at the nest of wires, making some of them let out sparks as he had fun. Cathica looked at them, wringing her hands in worry.

“This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work.” She said finally, turning and beginning to walk away.

“Go on then. See you!” The Doctor called to her, not looking away from the wires.

“I can’t just leave you, can I!” she exclaimed, turning back to them.

“If you want to be useful, get them to turn down the heating. It's boiling.” Seren said in irritation, fanning herself and picking up a bundle of wires that were hanging out of the cupboard. She turned to the journalist and asked, “What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?”

“I don't know. We keep asking - something to do with the turbine.” Cathica replied, waving her hand dismissively.

“Something to do with the turbine.” The Doctor repeated mockingly.

“Well, I don’t know!” Cathica exclaimed irritated, glaring at the Time Lord’s back.

“Exactly!” the Doctor exclaimed, turning around and looking at Cathica. “I give up on you, Cathica. Look at Seren.” He gestured to the Welshwoman behind him. “She’s asking all the right kind of questions.”

“Thank you.” Seren said with a smile.

“Why is it so hot?” The Doctor asked.

“One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!” Cathica exclaimed, raising her hands in frustration.

“Never underestimate the plumbing.” The Doctor said as he pulled at a mass of wires. “Plumbing is very important.” The bundle in his hands snapped. “Oops.”

Seren groaned, face-palming as Cathica looked away, exasperated.

“Okay, move over.” Seren said to the Doctor, her hands on his waist as she gently pushed him away. “Leave the hacking to me.”

“How do you know how to hack?” the Doctor asked her curiously, completely sidetracked.

“I spent a semester studying Computer Engineering as an elective in high school.” Seren replied, tying her long hair into a knot at the base of her neck to keep it out of her way. She stepped up to the wires and began putting them back together as she spoke. “In the process, I learned how to hack. It helped that my professor was a University student who moonlighted as a hacker.” She connected the mess of wires to a moniter, entering a series of codes into the device. She stepped back once she managed to successfully hack the mainframe. “Here you are. Connected to the mainframe, and made entirely one way so we can’t be booted out before you find what you’re looking for.”

“Thank you.” The Doctor said, taking his previous position and began pulling up the Satellite schematics. “Here we go.” He showed Cathica the schematics. “Satellite Five - pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout.”

He stepped off the cupboard ledge and held the monitor out for Cathica to see.

“This is ridiculous. You have access to the computer’s core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange…” Cathica said as she looked at the screen and turned back to them in confusion. “And you’re looking at pipes?”

“But there’s something wrong.” The Doctor said leadingly.

“I suppose.” Cathica said slowly, turning back to the screen.

“The ventilation system.” Seren muttered with a frown, looking at the screen as well, “Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out - channeling massive amounts of heat down.”

“All the way from the top.” The Doctor said.

“Floor 500.” Seren breathed, looking up at the ceiling. “Something up there is generating massive amounts of heat.” She looked between the Doctor and Cathica. “I don’t know about the two of you, but it feels like we’re missing out on a party.” She looked up at the Doctor, a smirk on her face. “Fancy a trip?”

“You can’t. You need a key.” Cathica stammered, looking between the two crazy people.

“Oh, keys are just codes. And I have the codes right here.” Seren said, turning her smirk onto the exotic woman as she took the screen from the Journalist and began entering another series of codes. She worked for a few seconds in silence before speaking again. “Here we are – override 215.9.”

“How come it’s given you the code?” Cathica asked, looking at them in dismay.

The Doctor looked up at the security camera as he said, “Someone up there likes us.”

Seren began hooking the wires back in their previous places, erasing any evidence of their little hacking adventure. She closed the cupboard doors and the Doctor stepped up and sonicked it locked once more.

“Okay, let’s go join the party.” Seren said, opening the knot in her hair and letting the locks tumble down freely once more, held back by her braided headband.

They went to the lift that was nearby, Cathica reluctantly followed them, grumbling under her breath once more.

“Come with us.” Seren said to Cathica, seeing her stop outside the lift as the two time travelers entered.

“No way!” Cathica replied adamantly, shaking her head.

“Bye!” the Doctor said cheerfully.

“Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me.” Cathica stalked off.

Seren and the Doctor exchanged looks.

“That’s her gone.” he commented as they watched her go. “Adam’s given up. Looks like it’s just you and me.”

“Yup.” Seren chirped with a wide smile, popping the ‘p’.

“Good.” The Doctor said, taking her tiny hand in his larger one and squeezing gently.

“Yup.” She repeated as the Doctor inserted the access card into the controls and the doors closed.

The lift took them up to Floor 500, the ride spent in silence. Seren adjusted the strap on her purse, making it long enough to cross over her chest so it would stay out of her way. When the lift door opened on the correct floor, the Doctor stepped out first with Seren directly behind him.

“The walls are not made of gold.” The Doctor said quietly, looking around at the wall and the ice that covered them. He turned to Seren and said, “You should go back downstairs.”

“Something you should know about me Doctor,” Seren said, stepping up next to him and looking up into his expressive blue eyes with her own amethyst ones. “I never listen when I’m told to turn back.”

Seren turned and began walking further away from the lift. The Doctor watched her retreating back for a moment before following her, knowing that she wouldn’t turn back now.

They walked around the floor, taking in the ice that covered every surface and the utter stillness of their surroundings, until they reached a small flight of stairs that led to an upper level. The Doctor climbed up first and Seren followed behind, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs and absorbing the scene in front of them.

There was a man with pale white hair and skin, paler than Seren’s own snow-white skin, wearing a smart suit and watching the large screens that were mounted on the walls. Directly beneath the large monitors was a line of people seated at a long table with smaller screens in front of them. What startled Seren was the people’s unblinking gaze ad the frost that covered their skin.

“I started without you.” The man in the suit said, drawing the Doctor and Seren’s attention to him. He chuckled lightly. “This is fascinating!” he turned back to the screens as they walked forwards slightly. “Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire… birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements - but you two, you don't exist.” He laughed at his own words. “Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?”

“Oh _Duw_ , Suki.” Seren breathed out, spotting the sweet girl from before at the end of the table. She walked over to the girl and squatted down next to her, putting a hand to her neck and feeling for a pulse. Suki’s skin was ice cold and there was no pulse. Seren straightened up from her crouch and glared at the pale man. “How is she still working if she’s dead?”

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets." The Doctor replied instead of the pale man.

Oh! You're full of information!” the pale man said in slight amusement. “But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something.” He chuckled as the pair nodded. “Who are you?”

“It doesn't matter, because we're off.” The Doctor replied. “Nice to meet you. Come on Seren.”

Seren nodded and began walking towards him. Suki reached out and grabbed her arm as two zombies grabbed the Doctor’s arms, holding him in place. Seren whirled around and brought her free hand down on Suki’s wrist in a chop, causing the recently turned zombie to loosen her grip just enough for the Welshwoman to slip her arm out of the dead woman’s hold.

“Ooh, this one’s got spirit, and she’s feisty.” The pale man chuckled, his eyes roaming the Welshwoman’s toned and curved figure as he snapped his fingers.

Two more zombies stepped up and made to grab Seren, but she ducked under their arms and moved out of their reach, causing them to stumble into each other and land in a heap on the floor. Another one came up behind her while three more came up in front of her. The one behind her grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides as she struggled against the hold. She took a breath, calming herself and head butted the one holding her, causing him to let her go and stumble backwards. The three in front of her advanced on her, reaching out to grab her. She made a move to attack her oncoming opponents when the pale man spoke up.

“If you want your friend to live, I suggest you stop fighting.”

Seren froze, her gaze drawn to the Doctor and the pale man. The pale man had a hand on the Doctor’s throat, dangerously close to the Time Lord’s pulse points where the slightest pressure could cut off circulation and blood flow. The Doctor himself was being held by two zombies, and despite his struggles, couldn’t break free of the firm hold.

Seren turned her gaze onto the pale man, glaring fiercely at him as the zombies approached her once again, somewhat more cautiously as if expecting to be hit by the fierce woman. Within seconds, realizing that they weren’t going to be attacked, four of the zombies grabbed a hold of her, keeping her in place – her arms were pinned to her sides by two zombies while the other two kept firm grips on her shoulders.

“Now tell me who you are!” The man demanded persistently, removing his hand from the Doctor’s throat once the Companion was subdued.

“Since that information’s keeping us alive, I’m hardly going to say, am I.” The Doctor retorted as the zombies holding him shoved him, none to gently, to stand beside Seren.

“Well, perhaps my Editor-in-Chief can convince you otherwise.” The man said, smiling at the still struggling Time Lord.

“And who’s that?” Seren asked.

“It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire.” The man said in a conspiratorial whisper before letting out a chuckle as he continued. “In fact, it's not actually human at all! It's merely a place where humans happen to live.” There was a growl and a snarl echoing around them as a creature spoke, sounding angry. “Yeah.” The man mouthed, ‘Sorry’ to the Doctor and Seren as he listened to the growls, turning away slightly. “Yeah.” The two time travelers exchanged confused looks as the man turned back to them. “Sorry, it's a place where humans are _allowed_ to live by kind permission of my client.”

He pointed upward and the three of them looked up as well.

“I had to ask.” Seren groaned as she stared, wide-eyed, at the creature above them.

In the ceiling, there was a large pseudopod creature with a mouth full of sharp, snapping shark-like teeth.

“You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?” the Doctor asked dismayed.

“That _thing_ , as you put it, is in charge of the human race.” The man corrected as they looked at him. “For almost 100 years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe.” The Jagrafess roared. “I call him Max.” the man finished with a large smile, looking as if he were moments away from squealing in excitement.

The Doctor gave the man a sarcastic smile as a few of the zombies came up to two of them with manacles, chaining them up side-by-side and with their hands up by their shoulders.

“Of course. Create a climate of fear and it’s easy to keep the borders closed.” Seren commented in realization as the zombies stepped back after locking the manacles in place.

“Exactly! It’s just a matter of emphasis.” The man said cheerfully. “The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilise an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote.”

“And the people of Earth essentially become slaves.” Seren snapped, glaring at him.

“Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?” the man asked philosophically.

“Yes.” The Doctor and Seren replied in deadpan unison.

“Oh.” The man said with a slight pout. “I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? ‘Yes’?”

“Yes.” The two of them replied again, in deadpan unison and glaring at him fiercely.

“You're no fun.” The man chuckled.

“Let me out of these manacles. You’ll find out how much fun I am.” Seren growled at him.

“Oh, not just feisty but tough as well.” the man said, his eyes roaming down her body with a leer. “Sexy.” She glared at him, wishing she was slightly closer to him so that she could have kicked him. Unfortunately, he was just out of reach of her legs. “But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit.”

How has no one noticed?” Seren asked, the question bugging her for the past short while. “Some thing this big, on this scale?”

“From time to time, someone, yes, but the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it.” The man replied, nodding. “Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not - they're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing.”

Seren and the Doctor noticed movement behind the man and saw Cathica there.

“What about you?” Seren asked. “You’re not a Jagrafess. You’re human.”

“Well, simply being human doesn’t pay very well.” the man replied with a sneer.

“You couldn’t have done all of this on your own.” Seren pointed out.

“No!” the man chuckled. “I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to, um,” he lowered his voice to a whisper as he finished his sentence, “install himself.”

“No wonder, a creature that size.” The Doctor said, glancing up and asking in a slightly raised voice. “What's his life span?”

“3000 years.”

“That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool - it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system.” The Doctor stated.

“But that's why you're so dangerous.” The man said, pointing to the Doctor in particular. “Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown.” He snapped his fingers and electrical energy surged through the manacles. The two captives clenched their teeth in pain, not wanting to scream and give the man the satisfaction. “Who are you?”

A minute, which felt like an age, passed and the man snapped his fingers once again ending the surge.

“Leave her alone.” The Doctor panted. “I’m the Doctor, she’s Seren Jones. We’re nothing, we’re just wandering.”

“tell me who you are!” the man yelled.

“He just said, you piece of shit!” Seren yelled back before the Doctor could.

“Yes, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-” he stopped short. The Doctor and Seren looked at him questioningly as an ominous smile crossed his face. He stretched his hands out to the Doctor, “Time Lord!”

Seren and the Doctor looked at each other in fearful shock.

“What?” the Doctor stammered, unable to keep the shock out of his voice and off his face.

Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine.” He reached a hand out to Seren and touched her cheek, making her turn away from the revolting touch with a grimace marring her beautiful features. “Oh, with his beautiful little human girl from long ago."

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The Doctor growled.

“Time travel.” The man replied simply, lowering his hand and looking at the Time Lord.

“Someone’s been telling you lies.” Seren spat.

“Young Master Adam Mitchell?” The man asked, stepping back and snapping his fingers.

A hollo-monitor appeared in front of them showing Adam in a broadcast chair, screaming and writhing in pain as the beam of compressed information streamed into is head.

“Oh _Duw_.” Seren whispered in horror, her eyes wide. “His head.”

“What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?” The Doctor shouted, looking at the monitor in anger. "They're reading his mine. He's telling them everything!"

“And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you both have seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S. TARDIS.”

“Well, you’ll never get your hands on it. I’ll die first.” The Doctor growled.

“Die all you like.” The man said shrugging. “I don't need you. I've got the key.”

Seren and the Doctor could only watch in horror as the TARDIS key floated out of her purse and dangle in front of them.

“Leave Idris alone!” Seren yelled.

Idris being the name the TARDIS had asked Seren to call her after she resumed travelling with the Doctor following the fiasco with the Slitheen.

“Today, we are the headlines.” The Editor said, ignoring Seren. “We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing.”

“And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold.” The Doctor sneered as an alarm sounded.

 

“What’s happening?” the Editor questioned two of the zombies at the console. “Someone’s disengaged the safety.” He snapped his fingers and an image appeared on the hollo-monitor – Cathica, sitting in the broadcast chair as the beam of compressed information streamed into her mind. “Who’s that?”

“It's Cathica.” Seren exclaimed with glee. “She’s thinking.”

“She’s using what she knows.” The Doctor added with a wide grin, the same amount of glee on his face and in his voice.

“Terminate her access.” The Editor frantically told Suki.

“Everything he had been about Satellite Five.” The Doctor said. “The pipes, the filters-she’s reversing it. Look at that!” he gestured to the melting icicles. “It’s getting hot.”

“I said terminate her!” the Editor growled to Suki. “Burn out her mind.”

There were sparks behind the monitors as the consoles exploded, the Editor being thrown back and the dead operators collapsing lifeless. The entire Satellite shuddered as alarms went off throughout the space station. Seren’s manacles came lose, allowing her to slip out. She reached out and grabbed the TARDIS key, putting it back in her purse. The Jagrafess roared as the Editor frantically tried to get the dead operators to sit up right again.

“She’s venting the heat up here.” Seren said.

“The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano.” The Doctor laughed as the Jagrafess roared.

“Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea!” The Editor said frantically, pushing Suki out of her seat and sitting down, trying to operate the console himself.

Seren turned to the Doctor and began rummaging through his jacket pocket for the screwdriver. Withdrawing it, she held it up to him.

“What do I do?” she asked frantically as the Jagrafess roared and snapped menacingly at them.

“Flick the switch!” he replied frantically, glancing up at eh Jagrafess before looking back at Seren.

She flicked the switch and the screwdriver buzzed to life. She aimed the screwdriver at the manacles holding the Doctor, jumping slightly when a nearby explosion startled her. For a few tense seconds, there was only the sound of the alarms blaring through the Satellite and the angry roars of the Jagrafess above them.

“Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty?” the Doctor called to the Editor, who looked at him. Seren managed to unlock one manacle and began working on the second. “Massive heat in a massive body - massive bang. See you in the headlines!”

Finally free of his manacles, the Doctor grabbed Seren’s hand and the two ran out of the room. They ran across Floor 500, avoiding massive chunks of falling ice and snow. They ran to the Floor 500 Newsroom Cathica was in and saw her sitting in the broadcast chair, her eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face.

The Doctor snapped his fingers and as her portal closed, Cathica opened her eyes. She looked at the Time Lord who gave her a gentle smile and helped her off the chair. The three of them ran to the lift and went back down to Floor 139.

There, they saw people helping the injured, and though there was still plenty of commotion and chaos, they focused on what they could do at the moment.

Seeing the injured people, Seren looked around for a First Aid kit, or something that she could use to give aid. Seeing a kit on the wall not too far away, she grabbed it and made her way to the nearest group of injured people. She paused long enough to give her purse to the Doctor before crouching down next to young man who was holding his leg and wincing.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She said soothingly, looking at him with a smile. “My name is Seren, do you mind if I have a look at your leg?”

The man shook his head and moved his hand, letting Seren see what was paining him. There was no obvious sign of injury and she gently probed the extremity, finding to be sprained rather than broken, all the while keeping up a stream of inane chatter to keep everyone calm. While she worked with the young man, she walked several others who weren’t injured through the process of helping those that were.

The next few hours passed in this manner – the Doctor answering as many of Cathica’s questions as possible without damaging the timelines while Seren gave First Aid to those that needed help and coached the uninjured through the process of helping, even of it was just fetching supplies or food.

As the dawn sun rose over Mother Earth below, Seren joined the Doctor and Cathica in the canteen, having done all that she could to help the humans on the Satellite. She sat next to the Time Lord, resting her head on his shoulder, completely exhausted.

“We’re just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions.” He told Cathica, who was sitting across from him in the canteen. When she made a sound of protest, he added reassuringly, “You’ll manage.”

“You'll have to stay and explain it.” Cathica insisted. “No one's going to believe me.”

“Oh, you’ll find they might start believing a lot of things now.” Seren reassured her.

“The human race should accelerate.” The Doctor added, nodding. “All back to normal.”

“What about your friend?” Cathica asked, gesturing to where Adam was leaning back against Idris.

“He’s not my friend.” The Doctor growled as he stood up and began walking towards the TARDIS.

Seren stood up as well and followed him. A part of her wanted to say something, but a bigger part of her was just tired. She understood the Doctor’s anger, feeling it herself, and felt that she had no right to even try to defend Adam – even if it was just to lessen the Time Lord’s anger. So, she just followed in silence as Cathica watched them go, instinctively knowing she would never meet the pair again.

“I'm all right now. Much better.” Adam said with a shaky smile as he saw the angry look on the Time Lord’s face as he stalked towards him. “Look, it's... It all worked out for the best, didn't it?” He chuckled nervously as the Doctor grabbed Adam by the scruff of his neck and unlocked the TARDIS with his free hand once Seren handed him the key. “You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge…” The Time Lord shoved him in through the open doors, ignoring him entirely, and followed him in with Seren slipping in silently.

One quick trip through the Vortex later, where the Doctor and Seren ignored Adam entirely, the Doctor grabbed hold of the boy’s ear once more and dragged him out of the TARDIS with Seren following suit, shutting the doors behind her.

“It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home!” Adam chuckled as he took in their surroundings before turning to the still silent and furious Time Lord. “Blimey! I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock.”

“Is there something you would like to tell me?” the Doctor asked him.

“No. What do you mean?” Adam asked.

The Doctor went to the telephone and picked it up.

“The archive of Satellite Five.” He said. “One second of that message could’ve changed the world.”

Adam looked at them with a caught-out expression as the Doctor put the machine back in its place. The Doctor took out his screwdriver and sonicked the machine. Seren and Adam flinched as it exploded in a shower of sparks as the Time Lord put the screwdriver back in his pocket.

“That’s it then. See you.” The Doctor said, crossing the small space back to the TARDIS.

“How do you mean, see you?” Adam asked

“As in goodbye.” The Time Lord replied.

“What about me?” Adam asked. “You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip Type 2. My head opens.”

“What, like this?” the Doctor asked, snapping his fingers and making the portal in Adam’s head open.

“Don't.” Adam said angrily, snapping his own fingers and closing the portal.

“Don't do what?” the Doctor asked snapping his fingers, making it open once again.

“Stop it!” Adam shouted, closing it.

“All right, Doctor, that's enough. Stop it.” Seren said to them.

“Thank you.” Adam said gratefully to the beautiful Welshwoman, who smiled and snapped her fingers. “Oi!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” She said with a slight laugh as Adam closed the portal.

“The whole of history could have changed because of you.” The Doctor told Adam in quiet anger.

“I just wanted to help.” Adam pleaded.

“You were helping yourself!” the Doctor snapped.

“And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this.” Adam pleaded.

“Yes, I can. 'Cause if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average, unseen. Good luck.” The Doctor replied as he opened the door and stepped back for his wife to enter.

“But I want to come with you.” Adam said.

“I only take the best.” The Doctor replied, stopping in the doorway of the TARDIS. “I’ve got Seren.” He entered the TARDIS and Seren moved to follow.

The front door opened and closed as Adam’s mother entered the home.

“Seren, Seren. Oh, my God!” Adam said.

“Who’s that? Geoff, is that you?” Mrs. Mitchell called.

“It’s me, mum.” Adam called. “Don’t come in. wait there a minute.”

“Oh, my Lord. You never told me you were coming home!” Mrs. Mitchell exclaimed. “Hold on, I'll just take my coat off. You should've told me you were coming home. I would've got your favourite tea in.”

“Seren, take me with you.” Adam whispered pleadingly as the Doctor started up the TARDIS’ engines. Seren looked at him for a long moment before turning and going inside, shutting the door behind her. Adam could only watch helplessly as the TARDIS dematerialized, leaving him behind in 2012.

_ Links: _

_*_ _Seren outfit -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478753311/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478753311/)

_*Seren hair -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/456904324688777542/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/456904324688777542/)

 


	10. Interlude: A Request

**Interlude: A Request**

Inside the TARDIS control room, Seren leaned against a coral in exhaustion as the Doctor walked around the console.

Suddenly, the silence that had fallen around them as they flew through the Vortex was broken by Seren’s mobile ringing ‘Ode to Joy’.

“Seren Jones.” She answered crisply, years of habit making her instinctively mask her tiredness and speak in a professional tone.

“ _Seren, it’s Rose.”_ Rose said softly on the other end. _“Take me to see him. Take me to see dad.”_

Seren’s eyes widened as she listened to her god-sister’s plea. The Doctor, seeing the change in the woman out of the corner of his yes, turned to her with a questioning look.

“Give me a moment, Rose.” Seren said into the mouthpiece before covering it turning to the Time Lord. “Rose. She’s asking if you could take her to see Uncle Pete, before he died.” He looked at her in silence and she sighed. “I know after the fiasco that happened with Adam, I don’t have the right to ask, but please. Just this once and I won’t ask again.” She looked away, at the green glowing Time Rotor, unable to look into his expressive blue eyes.

“Are you ready to go and see him again?” the Doctor asked softly, making her turn back to him with wide eyes.

“No.” she replied with tears in her eyes after a long moment. “But at the same time, I _do_ want to see him again, even if it’s at a distance. I miss him, I miss him so much.”

Seren gasped as her tears flowed freely down her cheeks, the events of the past few hours and the thought of seeing her beloved god-father before he died catching up to her. The Doctor put his arms around the younger woman, embracing her gently as she sobbed, both of them forgetting the mobile that was held to Seren’s chest. As she shuddered against his chest, he gently rested his chin on her head, letting her sob her heart out in his strong embrace.

The ancient man had a feeling that it was a bad idea but wanting to do anything in his power to help the sobbing young woman in his arms. The woman who was always so strong and always doing what she can for others without a though to herself. It was why he had agreed to Adam being on the TARDIS in the first place, and why he would do this for Seren.

“Let’s go.” The Doctor said finally.

“Are you sure?” Seren asked, looking up at him but not removing herself from his arms.

“Just this once.” He said. “Then no more going back to see deceased family members. I know how difficult it is to tear yourself away after seeing them, knowing you can’t do anything to save them. So just this once.”

“Okay.” Seren agreed, understanding that he would know what he was talking about. She stepped back from his arms, immediately feeling the loss keenly, and put the phone to her ear. “Rose?”

 _“Yea?”_ Rose asked hopefully, she hadn’t heard the conversation between the two, the sounds far too muffled to make out clearly.

“We’re on our way.”

Seren hung up the phone as she heard Rose begin squealing happily and hearing Jackie ask what the noise was about. She turned to the Doctor who was watching her with eyes that were far too old for his youthful face.

“Thank you.” She said softly, her sincerity clear on her face.

He nodded and she turned and walked out of the Console Room, going down the maze of hallways until she reached the room Idris had given her after she returned following the incident with the Slitheen.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The magnificent room was designed like a suite, with a walk-in closet, an en-suite bathroom, a vanity set, and a study area/ reading nook. The room was mostly in shades of purples, golds and creams, creating a comfortable atmosphere mixed with elegance and timelessness.

The room had a king sized bed centred along the far wall with a chaise at the foot and a white and gold headboard at the head, the comforters and beddings white and amethyst. There was a small circular night table on either side of the bed, each with a lamp in the centre. On one side of the room, there was a vanity table with a large oval mirror that encompassed nearly the entire space from ceiling to decorated marble floor with a high-backed cushioned chair*.

The walk-in closet, the entrance to which was just beside the vanity table, continued the theme of marble flooring and pristine white walls with white shelves and shoe racks. In the middle of the closet, there was an island, made of the same white painted wood and marble surface*.

Since Seren had returned to the TARDIS with only a small suitcase, Idris had taken it upon herself to relocate many items from the massive Wardrobe to the Welshwoman’s quarters, unheeding of the room’s occupant’s protests.

The en-suite bathroom, the entrance on the opposite side of the room and directly across from the walk-in closet, was entirely marble, from the walls to the floors, the shower that could comfortably fit half a dozen people with room for more to the surfaces, though the ceiling was painted white wood. The Jacuzzi tub was large enough to easily swim around in as well as comfortably contain a handful of people. The tub and the sink were a pristine white colour, while the marble that surrounded them were a soft crème colour, fitting with the theme of the rest of her suite*.

The study area/ reading nook were combined. The study area had a marble table secured directly to the walls. The table contained a laptop that the TARDIS had provided her with, the Doctor informing her that it was a model that wouldn’t be in production for at least a decade and she wholeheartedly believed him when she took in the sleek and portable design of the mobile device. The table also had a lamp in one corner and a light fixture directly above it to ensure a comfortable working space. The reading nook was a few feet away from the study area, a cosy nook with a long cushioned seat on a marble platform alongside a makeshift window that gave the illusion of seeing outside. The Doctor informed her that the three-panelled window would show any scene she wanted, so long as it didn’t fringe on the privacy of others – most of the time, she had the window showing her the night sky filled with the stars and planets that she loved so dearly. On either side of the cushioned platform there was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, filled with books of all kinds – from educational texts to fairy tales and everything between, every genre she could imagine*.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Going inside, she threw herself onto the king-sized bed, landing on her front and burying her head in her arms. She felt Idris hum soothingly, the room glowing slightly as the sentient ship tried to soothe her passenger. While Seren was looking forward to Rose travelling with them, even if it was just one trip, she wasn’t very eager to visit a relative who she was still grieving for. She was also afraid that the visit would result in meeting her own deceased parents, whom she definitely hadn’t fully grieved for. She knew, that if she saw her parents again, she would want to save them from their fate of death, and she prayed that she would be strong enough to resist the temptation.

She made a mental note to talk to the Doctor and ask him if he could do what he can to ensure that she didn’t do the very thing she was afraid of doing – finding a way to save her parents form their death.

Slowly, Seren felt herself fall asleep, aided by the gentle song of the last of the TARDIS’ in existence.

_ Links: _

_*Seren’s bedroom in the TARDIS (bed, vanity and immediate area) -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/305400418465356912/> _

_*Seren’s bedroom in the TARDIS (walk-in closet) -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879470200926/> _

_*Seren’s bedroom in the TARDIS (en-suite bathroom) -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/285204588878665277/> _

_*Seren’s bedroom in the TARDIS (study area/ reading nook) -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/37788084343434183/> _


	11. Father's Day

**Father's Day**

Picking up Rose from the Powel Estate took roughly about an hour, with Seren spending time with Siwan before the latter had to leave for class. Once the catching up, the hugging, the cautioning and the tears were done (the latter three done mostly by Jackie), Seren, Rose and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS.

Seren took the younger blonde to her room, showing her around and letting her leave the small overnight bag on the bed. Rose left the room to explore while Seren, who was still wearing the clothes she had been wearing in 200 000, took a hot shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

She wore a three piece lehenga, consisting of a black halter-neck blouse with a mirror embroidered neckline that showed off her toned abdomen, a light pink and light green floor-length skirt that flared out from her hips and a sheer light green dupatta that was around her neck* with a pair of small pink diamond studs in her ears. She pulled the front part of her hair back into a half crown braid, letting the bottom half tumble freely down her back in a mess of large curls*. On her feet, she had a pair of 6” high heeled peep-toe ankle strap sandals*.

She walked into the Console Room, hearing Rose talk to the Doctor about Pete Tyler, Rose’s father and Seren’s god-father.

“Peter Alan Tyler - my dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th September 1954.” Rose said as she leaned against the console with a photograph in her hand, while the Doctor sat on the jump seat. She handed the Time Lord the photograph of Pete and Jackie. “That's what Mum always says. So I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?”

The Doctor didn’t reply as Seren came up to the console, leaning against it beside Rose. She immediately noticed the photo in the Time Lord’s hand and suppressed a sigh. The Doctor glanced at her in concern, remembering what she had said a short while earlier about not being ready to see Pete when he was alive.

“If we can’t, then never mind.” Rose said hurriedly, misinterpreting the silence and the glance that he had shot Seren. “If it goes against the laws of time or something, then we can just go back.” She trailed off sadly.

“No, I can do anything.” The Doctor said reassuringly. “I’m just worried about you and Seren.”

“I want to see him.” Rose whispered firmly.

“Your wishes are my commands.” The Doctor said to them with a smile on his face as he jumped up and started up the TARDIS’ engines, piloting them through the Vortex. "But be careful what you wish for."

As Rose began exploring the Console Room and the surrounding area, Seren caught the Time Lord’s eye and gestured to a secluded corner with her head. He nodded and followed her to the corner.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” The Doctor asked her once they were out of Rose’s hearing range.

Seren didn’t reply immediately, biting her lip as she had her back to him. He gently put a large hand on her shoulder and firmly turned her around to face him, using his other hand to lift her face with a finger curled under her chin, making her look at him.

“What is it?” he repeated, still softly and gently. “What is bothering you?”

“I’m still grieving for him.” She admitted softly, a few tears escaping her long lashes and running down her cheeks. “And my parents. Going back to when he was alive means the possibility of seeing my parents alive as well. And when Rose called to make her request, I didn’t think about that. I just thought about giving her something that she needs.” She reached up and put her small hands around his muscled waist as he shifted his grip on her, curling his arms around her in a comforting embrace. “Doctor, I don’t know if I can handle seeing them alive.” She admitted softly. “Seeing them and not being able to try and save them, I don’t know if I can resist the temptation.”

She stepped back, away from his suddenly slacken embrace and looked up into his wide eyes, filled with shock and surprise.

“I need you to promise me,” she said firmly, wiping her tears from her cheeks and staring deep into his eyes. “I need you to promise me that you won’t let me save them. I know that if I did than it can change the timelines in unimaginable ways. I’ve read the books that are in the Library, as well as in my room. I don’t think I have the strength to fight the temptation on my own, so please,” tears began streaming down her cheeks once more, “Please, Doctor. Keep me from saving my parents.”

“I promise.” He said softly, amazed that the woman had the strength to admit, even to herself, that she had considered the possibility of saving her parents from their untimely deaths.

She gave him a tearful smile and hugged him tightly once more. They pulled apart as they heard Rose coming back to the Console Room, Seren wiping her tears and erasing all traces of her inner torment and the Doctor going to the Console to check on the progress of their journey.

“Hold on.” He said once Rose entered the room. “We’re landing.”

The two women grabbed hold of the nearest coral pillars as the TARDIS landed with her customary wheezing, grinding and shaking.

The three passengers stepped out of the Blue Box and looked around.

“What day is it?” Rose asked the Doctor.

“Aunt Jackie and Uncle Pete’s wedding day.” Seren said softly, almost to herself, after the Doctor replied to the blonde’s question.

“Let’s go see Mum and Dad get married.” Rose said cheerfully, completely missing the torment on Seren’s face as she ran off in the direction of the Registrar’s office.

The Doctor took Seren’s hand and they followed the blonde at a slightly more sedate pace. The entire time, the Doctor was hyper aware of the death grip Seren had on his hand and her admission of the possibility of being tempted to save her parents.

They quietly entered the Registrar’s office, slipping into seats at the back with the Doctor sitting between the two god-sisters. Seren’s still had a death grip on the Time Lord’s hand as they watched the ceremony.

“I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice…” the Registrar said to the groom.

“I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline… Suzanne,” he stammered over the bride’s middle names, “Suzette… Anita…” he helplessly looked at the Registrar for help as Jackie narrowed her eyes slightly at her groom.

“Oh, just carry on. It’s good enough for Lady Di.” Jackie said to the Registrar.

Seren couldn’t help the smirk that crossed her face, it was so like Jackie to say something like that.

“I thought he’d be taller.” Rose whispered, her gaze never straying from the bride and groom.

Seren reached out with her free hand and took the younger woman’s hand, squeezing it gently. The sound of a baby crying drew everyone’s attention away from the couple. Looking to the front pew, where the sound was coming from, Seren’s grip on the Doctor’s hand tightened even further. There, sitting beside each other, looking happy and _alive_ , were Seren’s parents – Ifan Llewellyn and Glenda Rhoswyn Jones. Sitting beside Ifan was a 7-year-old Rhiannon while Seren’s infant self was in Glenda’s arms, being gently soothed by the older woman. After a few seconds, the baby stopped crying as she fell asleep in her mother’s arms, content in the safety and comfort being provided by the older woman.

“To be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold till death us do part.” The Registrar’s voice coaching Pete drew Seren’s attention away from her very much alive parents and back to the ceremony.

The Doctor looked down at the young woman in concern, the woman holding his hand so tightly that he was beginning to lose circulation and go numb. Seren’s free hand was being squeezed tightly by Rose, who was oblivious to the torment her older god-sister was going through, so focused on her own parents, her own _father_.

After the ceremony, Rose let go of Seren’s hand as the three walked back to the TARDIS, the Doctor and Seren still holding hands. Seren wasn’t about to let go of the Time Lord until she was far away from the sight of her parents, knowing that the moment she had the chance, she would try to save them.

The moment they entered the TARDIS, Seren let go of the Doctor’s hand and climbed up one of the coral, perching at the top, far enough away so she could have privacy as she tried to come to terms with seeing her parents alive, but still close enough to hear if she was being called.

Rose on the other hand, leaned against the Console and spoke to the Doctor about Pete; how he died, how it had been a hit-and-run, how he had died alone and how the ambulance had been too late to save him.

As Rose spoke to the Doctor, who was sitting on the jump seat and listening in silence, Seren let her own memories of the day wash over her. She remembered being in the car with Siwan as Pete was hit by the oncoming car. She remembered getting out of the car and running to Pete, Siwan beside her, both of them screaming and begging Pete to wake up – he had already been dead by the time her and Siwan managed to get out of the car and reach him. Rose didn’t know that Seren and Siwan had been in the car that day, that they had seen everything through the window, and that the only reason they weren’t with him as he died was because of the seatbelts that held them in place.

“I want to be that someone. So he won’t die alone.” Seren heard Rose say and the Welshwoman looked down at the two, startled.

Seren’s startled gasp alerted Rose and the Doctor to her presence above them and the woman slowly made her way down the coral, coming to stand next to the Doctor. She stared at Rose in surprise as Rose looked back at her with large hazel eyes, silently pleading to be allowed this chance to sit with her father.

Every part of Seren was screaming at her to say no, she knew that if she said no than the Doctor would back her and he wouldn’t take Rose to that day. But Seren knew that if they didn’t, if they didn’t let Rose have this chance to at least be with her father as he died, than Seren would never be able to forgive herself for not giving Rose at least one moment with her father – a moment among many that Seren already had with the man.

Seren nodded and the Doctor looked between the two women.

“November 7th?” he asked.

“1987.” Seren confirmed in a shaky voice.

The Doctor started up the Time Rotor and took them to November 7th, 1987. Rose looked at the rotor with hope expressed clearly on her face. Seren bit her lip and hugged herself tightly, not ready to go back to the scene that had haunted her nights for so many years. The Doctor watched the tiny Welshwoman with concerned eyes, wondering what it was that had the feisty woman so traumatized. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, but one look at Seren’s determined expression, despite her fear, he knew that she was willing to brave the possibility of reliving her trauma so that her beloved god-sister could see what she hadn’t been told. See with her own eyes and truly understand what had happened that fateful day.

They materialized between a telephone box and a road sign, Waterley Street, by park railings. Rose slowly walked out of the box followed by the Doctor and Seren. The Doctor closed the TARDIS door behind him before putting an arm around Seren and holding her close as she began to tremble ever so slightly.

Rose looked around, taking in the bright daylight, the uncharacteristically warm November air and the songs of the birds and the animals.

“It's so weird. The day Dad died.” Rose said softly. “I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy. It's just an ordinary day.”

“The past is another country.” The Doctor said to her. “1987’s just the Isle of Wight.”

Seren bit her lip as a few tears escaped her lashes and ran down her cheek. She hurriedly wiped them away as the Doctor looked at her.

“Are sure about this?” he asked, looking down at the tiny Welshwoman in his arms.

“Yes.” Seren said softly as Rose walked a few feet ahead of them, leading them around the corner. “She needs to see. She needs to know what we hadn’t told her.”

"This is it, Jordan Road.” Rose said before the Doctor could say anything. “He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present, a vase.” Her voice broke as she said, “Mum always said, ‘that stupid vase.’ Remember, Seren?” Seren flinched at the reminder as they turned and watched a green van come around the corner. “He got out of his car…” the van pulled up to the curb. “And crossed the road.” They watched as Pete parked the car and picked up the vase from the passenger seat. “Oh, God, this is it.”

Seren watched with wide, horrified eyes, seeing from an adult perspective what she hadn’t understood as a child. They watched as Pete got out of the car, oblivious to the fate that awaited him. He turned his attention to the back of the car, moving to open the back passenger door, as a beige car turned around the corner and headed straight towards the preoccupied man. His hand on the door handle, he turned when he heard the sound of tires squealing and his eyes widened when he saw the car come towards him. The driver’s own eyes widened and he threw his arm over his face as he hit Pete. The vase fell form Pete’s hand, shattering into countless pieces as Pete hit the ground, struggling to move as each breath he took sent stabs of agony through him.

“Go to him, quick.” The Doctor said to Rose, though he meant the words for both of them.

Rose looked ready to run away from the heart-breaking scene, but Seren grabbed her hand in a tight grip, preventing the blonde from moving.

“Seren, what -?” Rose asked in confusion, tears in her eyes.

“Watch.” Seren said in a quiet hard voice, her eyes never straying from the scene in front of them. “Watch and see what you do not know.”

Rose turned back to the road, confusion still playing on her face as the sound of banging reached their ears. Following the sound, the Doctor and Rose’s eyes widened in shock and horror as the back door of Pete’s car opened and two tiny little girls climbed out, screaming. Both girls were dressed in salmon-coloured dressed, matching salmon coloured ribbons weaved into and holding their long curled chestnut brown locks back. One girl had large amethyst eyes while the other had sapphire blue eyes and except for that one difference, the two girls were identical in every way.

“Uncle Pete! Uncle Pete!” the girls screamed in unison, running to the prone man as they heard the sirens of the approaching ambulance.

Unable to watch anymore, and knowing that the ambulance was seconds away from reaching the scene, Seren let go of Rose’s arm and ran down the road. They followed her to an alley, finding her leaning back against the brick wall with tears streaming down her face as she gasped for air.

“It’s too now.” Seren said brokenly, gasping for air.

The Doctor gathered her in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly as she rested her head against his chest. She used the rhythm of his hearts to slow her own heart rate, before pulling away.

“By the time the ambulance got there, he was already dead.” Rose said, looking at Seren with wide eyes. “Seren, why didn’t anyone say that you and Siwan had been there when Dad died?”

“How could we, Rose?” Seren asked back, looking at the tall blonde. “By the time you were old enough to ask, and to an extent understand, we had finally stopped having nightmares every night. Even still, the night terrors I have? Uncle Pete’s death is one of the reasons, among a million other things.”

Rose nodded and turned to the Doctor.

“Can I try again?” she asked hesitantly.

The Doctor looked at her, his expression mirroring the one on Seren’s face. They both knew it was a bad idea, but Rose looked at them with wide hazel eyes, shining with tears she refused to let herself shed.

“Please, Doctor.” Rose pleaded.

The Doctor nodded reluctantly and they slowly made their way back to the TARDIS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Doctor, Seren and Rose looked around the corner to see themselves standing by the curb side as they waited.

“Right, that’s the first us.” The Doctor said quietly to Rose. “It’s a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don’t see us. Wait until she runs off and they follow, then go to your dad.”

Rose nodded her understanding and the three of them turned to watch as Pete’s van pulled up and parked at the curb.

“Oh, God, this is it.” The heard the first Rose say.

“I can’t do this.” Rose said shakily, looking at the two of them.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Seren said gently as she put a hand on Rose’s shoulder, pushing her own pain aside and focusing on the blonde in front of her. “But know that this is the last time we can be here.”

Rose nodded and Seren pulled her hand back as they turned and watched the scene in front of them. The blonde girl breathed heavily as the three of them watched Pete pick up the vase from the passenger seat and get out of the car. They watched as he turned his attention to the little girls in the backseat of the car, moving to open their door.

Suddenly, Rose ran forwards as the beige car turned around the corner. Seren lunged forwards, trying to reach the blonde but missed by a fraction as the Doctor held her back before she could be seen.

“Rose, no!” Seren yelled as the blonde dashed past their earlier selves, who looked on in bewildered confusion.

Rose pushed her father out of the path of the oncoming beige car, tumbling to the ground with Rose landing on top of him as the car sped past. The vase slipped out of Pete’s hand and rolled away, unbroken. As Rose got off him, the earlier versions of the time travelers disappeared.

The Doctor let Seren go and they both exchanged utterly horrified looks. They watched in horror as Rose helped her father to his feet, a wide smile on her face.

“I did it!” Rose exclaimed in happy relief. “I saved your life!”

“Blimey, did you see the speed of it?” Pete asked as he brushed himself off. “Did you get his number?”

“I really did it. Oh, my God, look at you. You're alive! That car was going to kill you.” Rose breathed, still shocked that she had managed to save her father.

“Give me some credit, I did see it coming.” Pete muttered defensively. “I wasn’t going to walk under it, was I?”

“I’m Rose.” She said, looking at her father expectantly as if waiting for familiarity or recognition. She received neither.

Pete opened his mouth to respond when the sound of banging drew his attention. He watched as the back door of the van opened and two identical girls climbed out and ran to him, wrapping themselves around each of his legs.

“Uncle Pete! Uncle Pete!” the cried in unison, the terror at what had almost occurred clear on their small faces.

“Seren, Siwan. I’m all right, my loves.” Pete said, bending down and expertly scooping the two girls up in each arm. He kissed their chubby rosy cheeks as Rose stared at the younger versions of her god-sisters. Pete turned to Rose, her words registering in his mind. “You said your name was Rose?” she nodded in response, looking up at him. “That’s a coincidence. That’s my daughter’s name.” he said with a slight laugh, the sound further soothing the little girls that were holding on to him with a tight grip.

“That's a great name. Good choice. Well done.” Rose babbled with a happy grin as Pete gave a slightly awkward chuckle.

“Right, I'd better shift. We’ve got a wedding to go to.” Pete said. He went back to the car and put the girls down, coaxing them to let go of him so that he could buckle them in once more.

“Is that Sarah Clarke’s wedding?” Rose asked as she watched her father with her god-sisters.

“Yeah, are you going?” Pete asked, managing to get the girls in the car and began buckling them in.

Rose glanced over at Seren and the Doctor, both scowling at her. Seren, hearing Pete’s question, shook her head vigorously at Rose.

“Yeah.” Rose said, nodding and turning back to the blonde man.

Seren scowled as her eyes, normally a warm amethyst colour, hardened to match the jewels they mimicked.

"You, your boyfriend, and his sister need a ride?" Pete asked, gesturing to the pair watching them.

Seren bristled when she heard Pete refer to her as the Doctor’s sister.

“Sure!” Rose exclaimed happily.

The four of them climbed into the van, Rose in the front passenger seat next to Pete while the Doctor and Seren in the backseat between the two little girls (the Doctor between the two versions of Seren so that they didn’t accidentally touch each other).

“You won’t mind if we stop by my flat so I can change, would you?” Pete asked as they drove.

“No, it’s okay.” Rose replied when the Doctor and Seren didn’t reply.

The two instead interlocked their fingers, their free hands being taken by the two little girls as they drew patterns on the strangers’ hands.

The rest of the ride was silent, Rose oblivious to the Doctor’s anger or her god-sister’s pain as she basked in the knowledge that her father was alive as she stared at him as unobtrusively as possible.

Reaching the block of flats, Pete parked the van and got out, going to Little Seren’s side of the door and taking her out, while the Doctor got out and picked Siwan up. Rose got out of the car and grabbed the vase as Seren kept a tight grip on her purse, making sure she stayed away from her child self. The two men swung the little girl’s onto their hips, the girls needed no encouragement to cling tightly to their necks as they made their way up to the Tyler’s flat.

“Right, there we go.” Pete said, letting them into his flat several minutes later and putting Little Seren down on the floor. Rose followed him inside and placed the vase on the floor by the door. “Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchens’ just down there,” he pointed towards the kitchen as he continued, the Doctor closing the door behind him and Seren, Siwan still in his arms. “Milk’s in the fridge.” The Doctor and Seren stood beside Rose as Pete turned slightly sheepish. “Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things. I should write that down.” He looked away thoughtfully as Rose looked at him with delight and the Doctor and Seren smiled politely.

“Uncle Pete?” Little Seren said, looking up from where she was clinging to his pant leg.

“Yes, my Little Star?” he asked, crouching next to her.

Seren’s breath hitched at the nickname Pete had given her once he learned what her name meant. Hearing it for the first time in 18 years was like a punch to the gut and she tightened her grip on her purse to keep from drawing attention to herself. Seren didn’t realize that the Doctor had noticed the momentary flash of pain that crossed her features or the sound of her breath hitching, she didn’t notice him shoot her a worried look.

“You’re rambling.” Little Seren said matter-of-factly, her Welsh accent pronounced and lilting.

Pete chuckled lively, swinging the little girl up on his hip as she let out a peal of musical giggles.

“Excuse us for a minute. Got to go and change.” Pete said to his visitors as he went to his bedroom, Little Seren still in his arms.

He paused at the door, turning to look at Siwan who was comfortable in the Doctor’s arms.

“Do you want me to take her?” Pete asked him.

“It’s okay.” The Doctor replied as he gave the blond man a polite smile, not mentioning that the little girl was all that was keeping him from raging at the future version of his daughter.

Pete nodded and disappeared into the room, Little Seren closing the door behind him. Siwan yawned as the excitement of the day caught up with the tiny 4-year-old and she gently put her head on the Doctor’s broad shoulder, falling asleep seconds later, her breaths coming out in short puffs against the Time Lord’s neck. He adjusted his hold slightly so that she wouldn’t slip and took her to the couch, gently putting her down and rubbing her back soothingly when she mumbled restlessly until she returned to her dreams.

Rose looked around the flat, taking in the items that covered nearly every surface. Seren turned and looked out of the window, her hands clenched into tight fists as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“All the stuff Mum kept. His stuff, Seren.” Rose said softly looking at everything as the Doctor stood up from his crouch and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, frowning at the oblivious blonde. “She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink.” She gave them a small smile, not noticing the anger on their faces or the fact that Seren was ignoring her. “Here it is, on display. Where it _should_ be.” She smiled at them, picking up a trophy and held it up to show the Doctor “Third prize at the bowling. First two got to go to Didcot.” She held it for a few seconds before replacing it as her eyes were drawn to several large jerry cans filled with liquid. “Health drinks.” She exclaimed, crouching by the large bottles. “Tonics, Mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever.” They stayed silent as Rose stood up and walked around. “Solar power.” She tapped her fingers against several paper schematics that were on the table. “Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can.” Seren finally turned around to look at Rose as the blonde looked at them with a smile. The smile faded as she finally taking in their displeasure when they don’t return the smile. “Okay, look I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend.” She began fidgeting slightly when neither said a word. “Well, say something. Please.”

“You’re a complete and total idiot.” Seren snapped in a hiss, mindful of the child sleeping near them. Rose jerked back, eyes wide as she took in the anger that radiated from her normally gentle god-sister. “Do you realize what you have done?”

“What are you talking about?” Rose asked, completely and utterly confused at the anger that was directed at her.

“I’m talking about the fact that you just saved Uncle Pete!” Seren hissed, anger radiating from every part of her tiny frame as she glared up at the taller woman.

“Why aren’t you happy about that?” Rose asked angrily, her hands on her hips as she returned the glare with one of her own. “He’s alive!”

"Rose, you have no idea what this could do!” Seren said in despair as the two women began inching towards each other without realizing it. “We already made that point vulnerable by having two sets of us there!"

"Oh, so it's alright for you and your alien boyfriend to save the damn world and whoever crosses your path but when it comes to saving someone you've known your whole life it's out of the question! As if you wouldn’t have done the same if it were your parents!” Rose hissed, causing Seren to stumble back in shock.

“One.” Seren said, raising a delicate finger in front of Rose’s face. “He's not my boyfriend. Two." Another finger went up, “The Doctor knows what he’s doing and I follow his instructions to a tee, except when they involve me running away from danger while he runs towards it. You don’t have any idea what you just did nor did you have any right to! And three.” The final finger went up. "I would give anything to save Mam and Tad from being murdered.” The Doctor, who had been listening to the two women, whipped his head around to stare at Seren in shock. She had told him that her parents died in a car accident not that they had been murdered. “There isn’t a single moment that goes by that I don’t think about them, wondering about whether I could save them or not. Even if I couldn’t save them, I would at least try to tell our past selves to cherish every moment they had because they would regret it after their deaths. And you know what the last thing I said to them was?” Seren had tears streaming down her face as she asked her question to the younger girl. Rose shook her head almost automatically. “I told them I hated them! Right before Tad turned the car on and the bomb went off, I told my beloved parents that I hated them. All because I didn’t want to attend a family dinner and wanted go out with my friends instead! But I can’t. I can’t even go and take back the words that will haunt me for the rest of my life because that could cause repercussions that we can’t even begin to imagine!”

The Doctor was staring at Seren with wide eyes as her words raced through his mind. A bomb killed her parents?

“But it’s not like I’ve changed history, Seren.” Rose protested. “Not much. I mean, he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything. Why can’t you just be happy that I can grow up with my dad now? Instead of your father playing the role of dad, I have my father to do it now.”

Seren trembled with anger as she listened to Rose’s words. Her father had always been there for Rose and Jackie, always being a father to the blonde girl just as he had always been Jackie’s best friend. Her father had managed to be a father-figure to Rose without ever taking Pete Tyler's place or making his own children feel like they were second to his love, he always made sure they knew that he loved them all equally. Seren pushed Rose, making her stumble as she stared at the tiny Welshwoman in shock.

Siwan, still asleep but feeling the turbulent emotions in the room due to her currently latent Emphatic powers, whimpered and the Doctor crouched next to her, rubbing her back soothingly until she fell back to sleep while sucking her thumb. His eyes however, were not on the child but on the two women in front of him. Seeing Seren take a step towards Rose, he quickly stood up and grabbed the tiny woman’s waist, preventing her from doing something she may come to regret later.

“What Seren is trying to say is that time is delicate and -” the Doctor started and Seren glared up at him as she took a breath to calm herself down, if only for the sake of her sister’s past self. The sleeping child had a frown on her face as she sucked her thumb furiously.

“Hell no! That is not what I mean and you know it!” Seren yelled as she tore herself from his grip. Thankfully the sudden yell didn’t wake Siwan up, who was a deep sleeper unless emotions were heightened like they had been for the past several minutes. Seren stalked up to Rose and stopped a hairs’ breadth from her as she looked up at the blonde. She spoke to the younger girl, her voice coming out in a hiss, “Because Uncle Pete’s alive, the whole world is different. I hope you can bear to live with the consequences.”

Seren glared at her one last time before whirling around, grabbing her purse that had fallen to the ground at some point and stalking towards the door.

“And where are you going?” Rose asked her retreating back.

Seren paused in the entryway and half turned to the blonde.

“You got what you wanted.” She replied in quiet anger, tears still in her eyes though they stopped streaming down her face. “Since you apparently know what you’re doing and you know everything about time travel, you can find your own way back.”

She turned back to the door and the Doctor moved to follow her.

"That doesn't scare me." Rose yelled to their retreating backs. The two froze at her unconvincing statement and turned to look at her as she continued. “You'll just hang out by that box waiting for me."

Seren gave her a blank stare, her normally expressive orbs completely devoid of emotion. The Welshwoman turned, opened the door and walked out as the Doctor followed, closing the door behind them.

Seren stalked down the steps of the flat block, silently fuming. She purposefully made sure she stayed in front of the Doctor, not wanting to rage at him for something he had no control over. By the time they reached the road and began heading towards Waterley Street, Seren’s anger gave way to the crippling sorrow, guilt and regret that she had been carrying since she was 18. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she tensed, ready to defend herself when she was faced with beautiful baby blue eyes that connected with her own amethyst purple orbs. Eyes that belonged to the Doctor as he moved to stand in front of her. Eyes that had compassion, pain, sympathy and understanding expressed in their swirling depths, mirroring her own emotions. Also expressed in his eyes was an emotion that she saw all the time, recognizing it but not being able to put a name to it - an emotion that she would see in Siwan and Adam’s eyes, in Rhi and Johnny’s eyes and so many others.

Never breaking eye contact, he moved closer towards her with slow, deliberate movements, as if she could become spooked at any moment. He gently cupped her dainty face with his large hands, and with movements so gentle as if the slightest pressure would shatter her, he wiped the tears that streamed down her face with the pads of his thumbs. She brought her hands up and covered his larger ones with her own tiny hands as she leaned into his gentle touch.

She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out, only another round of tears to stream down her face. Without a word, he gently wiped those away as well, only for more to fall. He gently lowered his hands and wrap his arms around her, bringing her tiny frame close to him as he held her while she sobbed her heart out. He rubbed her back soothingly, muttering soothing nonsense to her as he gently rested his chin on her head.

Finally, several minutes later, she was able to get a hold of her emotions. Her sobs slowed to sniffles with light hiccups escaping her periodically as she pulled a handkerchief from her purse and wiped her face, erasing the traces of her sorrow.

“Why does _everyone_ think we’re a couple?” she asked with a pout, causing him to chuckle.

She laughed as well, putting the handkerchief away and taking the Doctor’s hand. They resumed their walk back to Idris, the Doctor pondering on what Seren had said about her parents.

“You’re wondering about my parents.” Seren commented, looking up at him.

“Yes.” He admitted, not breaking their stride as he looked down at her. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I _am_ curious over what you didn’t say when we were on Platform One.”

Seren was silent for a moment, looking straight ahead.

“My parents were murdered, this you found out at the flat.” Seren said finally. The only indication of her pain was the tightening of the grip she had on the Time Lord’s hand. “They were killed by a car bomb, Siwan and I were in the back seat of the car at the time. We were going to Rhi’s home for a family dinner and I didn’t want to go, I wanted to go out with my friends and we were having a blazing row the entire time we were getting ready and leaving our house. The moment before Tad turned the key, I told them I hated them. Next thing I know, I’m being thrown back through the window and landing on the other side of the road, covering Siwan with my body as the Mara used the flames of the explosion to protect us as much as possible. I died from my injuries and made my Choice, though Siwan was able to be resuscitated by the paramedics.” She sniffled as she leaned in against the Doctor’s arm. He shifted slightly, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her and she leaned in to him. “The worst thing is that… we still don’t know who did it. It was one of the reasons that Siwan and I moved to London. We couldn’t stay there knowing that our parents’ murderer likely walked those streets. Rhi was able to manage because she had Johnny and David, Mica hadn’t been born at the time.”

“That is why you asked me to make sure you didn’t do exactly what Rose just did?” the Doctor asked softly, the pieces falling into place.

“Yea.” Seren replied, nodding. “I knew – I _know_ that with the guilt and regret I feel, I would do whatever I could to at least get my past self to cherish the time with my parents.” She gave a sarcastic laugh and looked up at him. “But you know what? There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to change anything. Not their deaths, no matter how painful it is to be without them, not my behavior when I was a teenager, nothing. Because I know I wouldn’t be the person I am now if I hadn’t been through what I went through. Is that silly?”

“No.” the Doctor replied, looking at her with a gentle expression on his face, his eyes shining with the emotion that Seren didn’t have the strength to name. “Not many people see it that way. Especially when they can travel through time.”

“Everything happens for a reason. Whether we see it then or later, we can only live, learn and grow from our past.” She said, looking at the sky as she spoke.

“Where did you hear that?” the Doctor asked curiously.

“Adam.” Seren replied, looking at him with a smile as they rounded the last corner onto Waterley Street.. “He had said that once not long before you and I met. I don’t remember what had prompted him to tell me that, but the words still stuck with me.”

The Doctor nodded and they fell silent, walking up to the TARDIS. Stopping outside the doors, the pair looked up at the sky through the tree branches hanging above them as a bird cawed in the distance. Seren frowned, the TARDIS was unusually quiet.

“Does she seem unusually quiet to you?” Seren asked with a frown. Normally, Idris never stops her humming, but for some reason there was nothing. No humming, no talking, nothing.

”You’re right, something isn’t right.” The Doctor replied, taking his key and unlocking the doors.

He gently pushed the door, freezing when both panels moved with the gentle touch. He pushed them opened and his eyes widened as he saw the empty telephone box. The TARDIS was gone, all that was left was the ordinary police telephone box. Seren covered her mouth in horror, stifling her scream, as the Doctor went inside and touched the four walls that made up the interior of the police box. He stepped back outside and the pair stared at each other in shock before realization struck them.

“Rose!” they shouted in unison, before running back in the direction they came from, heading back towards the flat.

The flat was empty when they arrived and the Doctor turned to his Companion.

“Do you know where they went?” he asked frantically.

“St. Paul’s church.” Seren replied, nodding. She ran out of the flat, the Doctor on her heels as she yelled, “Sarah Clarke’s wedding!”

They ran as fast as they could without pause.

“Rose!” the Doctor yelled after they turned the final corner and they saw Rose with their back to them.

“Rose!” Seren yelled as Rose turned to them with satisfied smile on her face. “Get in the church!”

Rose’s smile faded as Seren and the Doctor looked into the sky. Rose followed their line of sight and saw as a large creature with bat-like wings with a devilish appearance appeared in the sky.

Rose screamed as the creature hissed and swooped down to her. The Doctor pushed her to the ground just in time to narrowly avoid the creatures’ talons.

“Get in the church!” the Doctor yelled as he and Rose scrambled up.

Jackie picked up baby Rose’s carry cot while Glenda grabbed Little Seren and Siwan as Seren herded the frightened guests towards the old building. The small group of bridesmaids, flower girls, bride, guest and three time travellers stopped short as two more creatures appeared above the church.

“Oh, my God! What are they?” Suzie cried in fear. “What are they?”

Some of the guests that were in the church came out to see what the commotion was.

“Inside!” the Doctor yelled to the group of the church’s front steps as he stood in front of the small group at the gate, Seren and Rose on either side of him. Behind them, Little Seren and Siwan started crying as the fear and pain that permeated the air began to drown them, unable to channel the emotions everyone was feeling combined with their own.

“Sarah!” Stuart yelled as he came out of the church and started to run towards his bride.

“Stay in there!” the Doctor yelled at him, making him freeze in his place as the creature turned towards the group on the church’s steps.

Stuart’s father, seeing the creatures, tries to run in fear but the creature pounces on him, making him disappear with a scream. Sarah tried to run to the church, but was blocked by one of the creatures. She screamed as it approached her, causing it to fly off. It attacked the Vicar instead, who screamed as he disappeared.

“In!” Seren yelled, ushering the terrified party inside the building.

While Seren stood on the side as she ushered the terrified people inside, the Doctor made sure that he stayed at the very back of the group to keep the creatures from attacking from behind. As soon as the last person entered, he slammed the large doors shut. The terrified party chattered to each other in fright.

“They can't get in.” The Doctor said as they saw the creatures flying around outside, making them all turn to look at her. “Old windows and doors. The older something is, the stronger it is. Go and check the other doors!” he ordered some of the guests as he went and took one side of the church. “Move!”

Seeing her mother frantically try to calm her younger self and Siwan down without much luck, Seren reached out and picked Siwan up, holding the 4-year-old close and rocking her gently. Seren’s mother, Glenda Jones, looked at her with a pondering expression, glancing between the child in her own arms and the woman holding her youngest daughter. Seren smiled and Glenda’s eyes widened in realization. Seren shook her head, silently telling the woman not to say anything and she nodded in understanding, focusing on calming her fearful daughter down.

“What’s happening?” Jackie asked frantically, following the Doctor as he checked each door on his side. “What are they? What are they?”

“There’s been an accident in time. A wound in time.” He replied, going to the next door as Jackie followed him. “They’re like bacteria, taking advantage.”

Seren turned, going up to Jack and the Doctor, watching the confrontation between the two, amused despite the situation they found themselves in. She soothingly rubbed her sister’s back, the little girl also watching the argument with an adorably confused expression on her tiny face.

“What do you mean, time? What are you jabbering about, time?” Jackie hounded him.

“Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining -” The Doctor said to her.

“How’d you know my name?” Jackie shouted, cutting him off.

“We haven’t got time for this -” the Doctor spoke over her shouting.

“I’ve never met you in my life!” Jackie yelled at him, cutting him off again.

Seren had to hide her face in Siwan’s hair to conceal the smile that was growing on her face at their arguing.

“No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this.” He said to her before standing up to his full height and looking down at the woman sternly. “Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go-and-check-the-doors.”

“Yes, sir.” Jackie breathed and walked away.

“I should’ve done that ages ago.” He said, grinning and looking very pleased with himself.

He turned to Seren as she walked up to him with Siwan in her arms and winked, causing her to look away, utterly flustered. She found the commanding tone to be incredibly sexy and became more flustered at her realization.

“My dad was out there.” He told them, making the playful mood evaporate instantly.

“You can mourn him later. Right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive.” The Doctor told him firmly.

“My dad had…” Stuart started to say.

“There’s nothing we can do for him.” The Doctor said, cutting the man off.

“No,” Stuart said desperately as he held up a phone from the current decade. “But he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice.”

The Doctor took the phone and dialled a number, holding it up to his ear.

_“Watson, come here. I need you. Watson, come here. I need you.”_

Seren and the Doctor exchanged looks of amazement. Siwan reached out for the phone.

“Phone!” she cried out happily. “Phone, please.”

“That’s the very first phone call.” Seren breathed, her eyes wide in amazement. “Alexander Graham Bell.”

“I thought you sucked at history.” The Doctor asked, looking at her in confusion.

“I know the basics.” She replied, glaring at him. “Besides, I have been reading you know.”

“Oh, right.” The Doctor muttered, turning back to the groom. “I don’t think the telephone’s going to be much use.”

“Phone, please!” Siwan repeated, tugging on the Doctor’s sleeve.

 He handed the old phone to the child turned to check the door behind the Pastor’s podium. Siwan wriggled in Seren’s arms and she put the child down, who needed no prompting to climb onto one of the chairs and occupy herself with her new toy. Little Seren caught sight of her sister and joined her on the chair, the two blissfully playing happily, Glenda keeping a close watch on them though she gave a sigh of relief now that they had stopped crying.

“But someone must’ve called the police!” Stuart called after him.

“Police can't help you now. No one can.” The Doctor said, turning around to look at the assembled group of people. Pete glanced up at them from where he was crouched over Baby Rose’s carry cot on the ground by Little Seren and Siwan’s chairs. Rose watched the Doctor as he did what he could to keep them safe for the time being while Seren helped him any way she could. Rose let out a sigh with guilt in her heart. “Nothing in this universe can harm those things.” The other guests watched as the Doctor continued speaking. “Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything inside.”

He looked at Rose in the eyes as he stopped beside Seren. Seren looked away in shame and the Doctor took her hand, silently reassuring her that he didn’t blame her for what had happened.

“Is this because…” Rose began shakily. “Is this my fault?”

Seren looked at the blonde in silence, the anger she had felt towards her giving way to self-hate for caving into the girl’s desires. It was something she had done her entire life, the first time she had ever fought for something _she_ wanted was when she adamantly fought to resume her travels with the Doctor. And yet, even then, they had the chance to keep her from going and she would have agreed without question.

This behaviour, while a part of her personality from childhood, had only begun to be more obvious after her parent’s death – the nature resulting from the blazing row they had moments before they died.

Seren let out a choked laugh at the blonde’s words and walked away, unable to face her god-sister without giving into the urge to yell at her for her actions. She was followed by the Doctor close behind her as they systematically check each of the doors and windows until they reached the Vestry.

Inside, they found Pete locking the door as the Doctor ran to the window, looking outside when he heard a screech. Seren stood in the archway, watching her godfather.

"There’s smoke coming out of the city, but no sirens.” Pete said, coming around the Registrar’s table and standing beside the Doctor, watching as he looked out of the window. “I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world.”

The sound of the screeching tires drew her attention away from the man.

“Was that a car?” she asked, the questioning look mirrored on Pete’s face.

Seren moved to look out the window, but the Doctor put an arm around her waist, stopping her from going to the window and keeping her by his side. She looked at him in confusion as he stared at her for a moment before letting go.

“It’s not important. Don’t worry about it.” He said finally.

She raised her eyebrow at him as he dragged her out of the room. Pete looked out of the window for a moment before glancing back at the Doctor as he dragged Seren out of sight. The Doctor let go of her when they were outside of the Vestry, going to check on the status of the other doors and windows while Seren decided to look for Rose.

She found the blonde sitting by herself near the altar, looking up at the stain glass window. She quietly approached the blonde and sat down next to her, noticing that the younger girl had been crying.

Seren’s anger faded as she thought about how the younger woman was feeling, knowing that her simple action – caused by a desire to save someone she loved – caused so much pain and sorrow. She gently put her arm around the taller girl, guiding Rose to rest her head on the Welshwoman’s delicate yet deceptively strong shoulder and rubbed her back. They were both silent, lost in thoughts and memories, only to be broken out of it at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Seren and Rose straightened and looked towards the sound, seeing Pete standing there awkwardly, with his hands in his pockets.

“This mate of yours…” he started, looking between the two women, so familiar yet so strange. He looked at Rose as he asked, “What did you mean, this is your fault?”

“Dunno…” Rose replied, shrugging. “Just… everything.”

“I gave you my car keys.” He said with a frown. They gazed at him, their eyes slightly red from their tears. “You don't give your keys to a complete stranger.” They watched him in silence as he began to slowly put the pieces together. “It’s… it’s like I trusted you, both of you. The moment we met, I just did. A wound in time…” Rose chewed her bottom lip as Pete continued, “You called me Dad. I can see it . . . my eyes . . . Jackie's attitude . . . you sound like her when you shout . . ." He turned to Seren, “I heard your breath hitch when I called my second god-daughter by her nickname. I left my youngest god-daughter with you and your friend. And you look just like Seren, older and slightly different, but the same. You have Glenda’s attitude and calm pragmatism. And the way you carry yourself, with the grace of a dancer yet always ready to defend your loved ones, like Ifan.” Rose closed her eyes and sniffed as Pete reached out and gently cupped their faces. Rose reached up and put her hand over his, holding it to her cheek and basking in the feeling. “You are. You are . . . you're my Rose. You're my Rose grown up. And you’re Seren. My Little Star." Seren nodded as he threw his arms around the two of them.

Losing all remaining control, Rose's tears start to flow again. Seren withdrew herself from the embrace a few minutes later, causing Pete and Rose to look at her, still wrapped in their hug.

“Spend time together. I’m going to go find Mam, Siwan and Mini Me.” Seren told them, wanting the two to make the most of this time they had together, while taking advantage of the chance that she had as well to spend time with her mother.

Pete and Rose nodded, the blonde girl mouthing ‘Thank you’ to Seren and she nodded in acceptance, reaching up to kiss Pete’s cheek softly, before walking away.

Seren knew that they still had a lot of work to do to survive this mess they were in, but at least Rose had a chance to spend time with her father. She made her way through the main area of the church, between the pews, noticing the bride and groom talking with the Doctor. She saw her mother near the aisle at the back of the pews, the older woman watching Little Seren, Siwan and a young boy in a grey suit as they played a little further away. Jackie was nearby with Bev, and a group of other women, keeping an eye on the three children as they talked amongst themselves.

With a gentle smile, she made her way over to her mother, wanting to take advantage of this time she had, and hopefully be able to pass the experience on to the Older Siwan if they survive.

“Seren, right?” Glenda asked her with a knowing look in her eye when the younger Welshwoman was in hearing range.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Seren replied with a mischievous smile, identical to her father’s.

“Come, sit with me.” Glenda said, moving over slightly so that Seren could sit beside her.

Seren did so, settling next to the older woman and using all her strength to keep from throwing herself into the woman’s arms.

“Earlier, when we entered the church, I noticed something.” Glenda said softly. “Except for your age, you are identical to Seren. And you have the aura of a Chosen One. There are only two Chosen Ones that have been born in this generation; my daughters. And you are not of my generation as she had made her Choice and joined the Mara in the Lost Lands. There is only one explanation.” The older woman pinned Seren in place with a penetrating gaze. The older woman seemed to find what she was searching for, gasping as tears filled her eyes. “You are my daughter, an older version of Seren. And you have made your Choice.”

“Yes, Mam, I did.” Seren replied, tears in her own eyes.

Glenda gave a trembling smile as she pulled Seren into a tight hug. Seren melted into the embrace, her tears streaming down her face as she held her mother for the first time in 5 years.

They parted reluctantly after a few minutes, though they kept their hands locked together.

“What prompted you to have to make your Choice?” Glenda asked, wiping her tears from her eyes. “Has your sister made hers as well?”

“I can’t tell you why I had to make my Choice.” Seren replied regretfully. “It could mess up the timelines even more. But Siwan hasn’t made hers yet.”

“And your older sister, Rhiannon? How is she?”

“She’s good. She’s married, has two children.”

“Married? Really?” Glenda asked in surprise. “And children, amazing. How old are they?”

“David is 6 and Mica is 1.”

They were broken away from their conversation by something bumping into Seren’s side. Looking down, Seren saw the little boy clinging to her waist with his head buried in his ribs.

“Mickey!” Jackie called out, running up to them.

Seren looked at the little boy in surprise.

“Do you know him?” Glenda asked her, seeing the surprised recognition on her face.

“Yeah.” Seren replied softly. “I just didn’t recognize him in the suit, that’s all.” She bent slightly, altering the pitch of her voice as she spoke to the little boy clinging to her, “You need to let go of me, _Cariad_.” Seren looked up as she realized what she had just said. “I’m always saying that.” She muttered quietly to her mother as Jackie came up to them.

“He just grabs hold of what's passing and holds on for dear life.” The older blonde explained to the young Welshwoman. “God help his poor girlfriend if he ever gets one.”

Seren laughed lightly at the blonde’s words, realizing the irony in them. Between the two of them, they were able to coax Mickey to loosen his grip on Seren and step back.

 “Siwan and Seren are with Rose. The Doctor is keeping an eye on them.” Jackie said to Glenda. “They’re by the choir stalls.”

“Thanks, Jackie.” Glenda said with a gentle smile as Seren had to work at keeping back her surprise. Jackie nodded and guided Mickey away. Glenda turned to Seren and saw the look of surprise. “Are you okay, Seren?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Seren replied faintly, shaking her head. She turned to her mother. “In the future that doesn’t happen.” Glenda looked at her in confusion and Seren elaborated. “Aunt Jackie doesn’t trust the Doctor. Just getting her to let me travel with him takes an insane amount of wheedling and reassuring.”

“What is your relationship?” Glenda asked her. “Yours and the Doctor’s?”

“We’re friends.” Seren replied, completely missing the knowing look her mother was looking at her with. “Why?”

“The way he looks at you.” Glenda said softly. “And the way you look at him. It’s not the way friends look at each other.”

“Mam, I don’t understand.”

Glenda smiled gently, looking at her beautiful daughter, completely grown up yet still so innocent.

“You’ll understand one day. When you’re ready.”

Seren pouted, always having hated when her parents gave vague and cryptic responses like that. Glenda laughed lightly at the younger woman’s expression. Glenda’s laughter faded as she saw Jackie walking away from the Vestry, fighting her tears.

“Why don’t you go find the Doctor?” Glenda suggested to Seren calmly, standing up.

“Mam?” Seren asked, standing up as well.

“Go on. I need to speak with your Aunt.” Glenda said reassuringly, gently pushing Seren in the general direction of the choir stalls.

Seren looked towards Jackie and saw the older woman’s pained expression as she fought back her tears. Seren nodded in understanding and walked away, heading towards the choir stalls while her mother walked towards Jackie.

“Now, Rose you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?” Seren heard the Doctor ask the baby as the two older children played with each other by his feet. She walked into his line of sight and he glanced at her before looking back at the baby. “Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change.”

“Yeah, I was with Mam when she came up and told us.” Seren replied softly. “And I think I imprinted on Mickey like a mother chicken at the same time.”

Little Seren, fascinated by the vibrant colours of Seren’s skirt, reached out to touch the fabric. Seren jumped back, not wanting to take the chance of her past self accidentally touching her as well.

The Doctor reached out and grabbed Little Seren’s hand, stopping her from following Seren in her attempt to touch her. Outside, the Reapers screeched loudly.

“No! Don’t touch the adult.” The Doctor told the child firmly. Little Seren looked up at him with large amethyst eyes, pouting slightly. "You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new – any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in."

“We same.” Little Seren said softly, pointing to herself before pointing to Seren. “No touching same.”

“That’s right.” Seren said softly, crouching next to her past self. “We can’t touch each other. But you know what we can do?”

“What?” Little Seren asked, a cute frown furrowing her face.

The Doctor also looked curious as to what Seren had in mind.

“We can do this.” Seren reached out and picked Baby Rose up, kissing her on the cheek. She handed the baby to the Doctor, who took her and held her out to Little Seren, realizing what the Welshwoman was doing. “Now you can kiss the baby.”

Little Seren smiled widely and placed a light kiss on the baby’s chubby cheek before stepping back and smiling up at the two adults. The Doctor put Baby Rose back on her carry cot before putting the cot on the floor next to the two children, letting them play with her.

“What are we going to do?” Seren asked him softly, looking at the three children in front of them as she leaned against the choir stall.

“I don’t know.” He admitted softly. “Between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out.”

“You’ll think of something.” Seren said with certainty. “ _We’ll_ think of something. Together.”

She reached out to take his hand, hesitating for a moment before taking his hand and interlocking their fingers.

“The entire Earth's been sterilised.” He told her. “This, and other places like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures.” He looked at the shadows that could be seen through the stain glass windows. “They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way.”

“If I’d realized…” Seren started quietly looking away, not able to look into the expressive blue eyes. “If I had realized she was going to save him, I would never have asked you to bring us.” She looked at him sadly, her guilt at the role she played clear on her face. Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she said, “I can feel the emptiness, the hollowness, growing inside me.”

“What do you mean?” he asked worriedly, not liking the way she spoke.

“The Mara.” Seren said, turning to face him completely. “They’re being sterilized as well. Even though they’re in the Lost Lands, slowly they’re being sterilized as well. Soon, they’ll be go and I might go too.”

“What? What do you mean?” he asked frantically.

“When a Chosen One makes their Choice, regardless of what the Choice is, the Mara henceforth sustain them.” A voice said quietly from beside them.

Seren and the Doctor jumped and whirled around at the sound of the new voice. They had been so caught up in their conversation, everything else had faded away, leaving only the two of them and the babbling of the children as they played on the floor.

Glenda was the one who had spoken, having quietly come up halfway through the conversation and heard what Seren had said.

“Mam?” Seren said softly, questioningly as Little Seren and Siwan reached out to their mother, hugging her around the waist.

“It is possible that you will survive, I don’t know for certain.” Glenda said gently, crouching down and wrapping her arms around the two girls. “But the emptiness and the hollowness will always be inside you. So long as the Mara are gone. The part of you, the part of all three of you,” she looked between the two Seren’s and Siwan. “That is connected to the Mara will be severed once the last of the Mara disappears.”

“Even Little Seren and Siwan?” The Doctor asked hesitantly.

“Yes.” Glenda said, nodding as she straightened up from her crouch. “They have been connected to the Mara since they were born. It is more pronounced and deeper with Seren, as she has made her Choice.”

“Oh, _Duw_.” Seren breathed, falling back against the stall, her eyes wide as she stared at her mother.

The Doctor was staring at the older Welshwoman as well. A part of him, the part that wasn’t so worried about Seren and how they were going to survive, noticed the calm aura the older Welshwoman portrayed. Glenda was sad and afraid, certainly, but she was also calm while everyone else was panicking. Probably _because_ everyone else was panicking. The Doctor realized then, that Seren got her rationality and practical nature from her mother - the ability to remain calm and keep others calm while the world goes to hell around them.

“What can we do?” Seren asked her mother.

“For starters, you can apologize to your friend, Missy.” Glenda said sternly, having heard enough of the conversation to know that, while Seren hadn’t played a direct role in causing these event, she did play some role in it.

“You’re right, Mam.” Seren said to her mother before turning to the Doctor. “I haven’t apologized to you.” She looked up at him, staring into his eyes. “I am so sorry.” She spoke with complete honesty and sincerity, truly sorry for the role she played.

The Doctor nodded in acceptance, taking Seren’s hand and holding it tightly. The two turned to Glenda, wanting to know what else they could do, particularly regarding the Mara, since the Doctor had no idea.

“After the apology, I have no idea.” Glenda told them matter-of-factly.

“Mam!” Seren cried out, barely managing to keep her voice low enough to not draw attention to them.

“What?” Glenda asked defensively. “This is entirely new territory for me. And _I_ am not a Chosen One. Everything I know is from stories, mostly from your grandmother.”

With that, Glenda smiled at the two of them and walked away, taking Rose’s carry cot in her arms with Little Seren and Siwan following close behind.

“She always does that!” Seren exclaimed in frustration. “She always makes someone think that she knows what to do before she reveals that she was just winging it! That and she has a habit of being ridiculously vague and cryptic at times. It drives me nuts!”

Seren huffed in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the choir stalls. She began muttering to herself about crazy and cryptic mothers while the Doctor watched in amusement. He had noticed Glenda turning around and watching them from a few feet away when Seren began ranting, and had realized what the older Welshwoman was doing.

The Doctor tugged Seren’s arm gently, and she lowered her arms as he pulled her close. He wrapped her in a tight hug, reassuring her and accepting her. She returned the hug with equal vigor and Glenda smiled gently from where she was standing, watching the two.

She didn’t know what it was that caused her daughter to make her Choice, the Choice her and her husband had prayed the girls would never have to make, but she was happy Seren had found someone to love and someone to love and cherish her for the gem she is. Even if the two were unaware of their feelings for each other. She turned and walked away, going towards Jackie.

Seren pulled away with a frown, his arms still around her waist.

“Have you got something hot?” she asked him, reaching into his jacket pocket.

She pulled her hand away with a flinch when she felt something burn her, tossing the burning TARDIS key that her hand curled around to the floor. They looked at the brightly glowing key.

“It’s the TARDIS key!” The Doctor exclaimed as the two of them crouched beside it. Seren removed her green dupatta from her neck and folded it before using it to pick up the burning key. She held it out to the Doctor who removed his jacket and handed it to her, taking the dupatta covered key with his other hand. As he held the covered key, he told Seren with excitement, “It’s telling me it’s still connected to the TARDIS!”

He walked up to the front of the church, stopping at the pulpit. He looked around, seeing the small crowd milling about in two’s and three’s, sitting in the chairs or standing nearby. Most of them had their attention trained on the three children – Mickey, Little Seren and Siwan, who were playing happily with each other, completely oblivious to the reality that surrounded them.

“We need everyone’s attention.” The Doctor muttered to Seren.

“I got this.” She said with a smirk, putting his jacket on the back of one of th chairs and moving to stand beside him again.

She smiled up at him before turning to the crowd, putting two fingers to her mouth and whistling, _loudly_.

The shrill sound startled everyone, making them all jump and turn around to face the source of the sound.

“The Doctor has an idea that might work.” Seren said once she had everyone’s attention. “Please take a seat, he can explain.”

Seren hadn’t even finished the last syllable when there was a flurry of activity as everyone grabbed seats, turning their attention to the Time Lord.

The Doctor gaped at Seren for a moment before shaking his head and turning tot eh crowd in front of him, all looking at him and waiting.

“The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but I can use this,” The Doctor said, holding up the TARDIS key that he was holding with Seren’s dupatta, “to bring it back. And once we've got our ship back, then we can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?”

The small crowd was silent as they looked around. Stuart picked up the mobile phone and held it up. The kids had gotten bored of playing with it and had left on one of the chairs when they proceeded to find something else to occupy themselves with.

“Is this one big enough?” he asked, walking to the front as he took the back of the phone apart.

“Fantastic.” The Doctor said with a smile as he ran down the stairs to stand in front of Stuart.

“Here you go.” Stuart said, holding out the battery as the Doctor took out his screwdriver and put it in his mouth so he could have a free hand to use. “Good old Dad. There you go.”

Seren rolled her eyes at the Doctor trying to multi-task and took the covered key, letting the Doctor use both hands for his task.

“Thanks Seren,” he said absently as he used the sonic screw driver on the battery. “Just need to do a bit of charging up and then we can bring everyone back.”

“Even…” Seren asked hesitantly, trailing off.

“Yes, even them.” The Doctor replied gently,knowing she was asking about the Mara, looking at her for a moment before turning back to his task.

For the next several minutes, there was a tense silence in the church as the Doctor used the screwdriver on the battery. Outside, the Reapers screeched and banged against the doors. He took the dupatta covered key from Seren and she sat down on the floor beside Siwan, Little Seren moving slightly so that there was space between them. They all watched as the Doctor held the glowing key in mid-air right where the key slot should be. A few seconds later, the TARDIS began to materialize around it and the Doctor looked at Seren with a wide grin.

He took his jacket from the chair and put it back on, giving Seren her dupatta back as well. She went to put it around her neck again when she felt a tug on it. Looking down, she saw Siwan clenching a piece of it in her tiny fist.

“Siwan, play.” She said, looking up at the older version of her sister. She tugged on the dupatta again. “Siwan, Seren, Mickey play.”

“You want to play with the dupatta?” Seren asked.

“Yes, please.” It was Little Seren who replied, still standing behind Mickey and staying away from the older girl.

The little girl remembered the warning that she had been given and didn’t want to upset the nice man that had played with her. Little Seren had seen sadness and pain in the man’s eyes and didn’t want to cause anymore, so she made sure to stay away from the older girl that looked like her.

Seren smiled and nodded in agreement, taking the dupatta off and handing it to the kids. They giggled happily and began playing with it, putting it over their heads, wrapping it around themselves and used their imaginations to do a million and one other things with it that adults wouldn’t even begin to think of.

The Doctor, who had been watching Seren with a fond look on his face, ran back up to the pulpit. He didn’t notice Glenda looking at him with a knowing expression on her face. A quick glance at the people sitting around her showed that she wasn’t the only one that noticed the way the two looked at each other.

“Right, no one touches that key.” The Time Lord said sternly, turning to the small crowd. “Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, _zap_! Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us.” He turned to the bride and groom. “Stuart, Sarah you're going to get married, just like I said.”

He smiled brightly at them and they returned it as everyone let out cries of relief at the thought of being saved.

Slowly but surely, Idris materialized around the key. The Doctor walked towards Seren, grinning madly. Seren grinned back as he stood next to her chair.

“Doctor,” Seren asked quietly after several seconds. He looked at her and she bit her lip.

“What is it?” he asked, crouching next to her, looking up at her hesitant face.

“When this gets sorted out, would I be able to tell Mam? Would I be able to try to save them?” she asked hesitantly, hopeful but resigned at the same time.

She wanted to save them, but she was ready to accept if she couldn’t.

The Doctor looked up at her sadly, standing and pulling her into a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Seren.” He said softly into her ear as he held her closely.

She began to sob, knowing that she was going to lose her parents all over again. He didn’t need to finish speaking, just his apology was enough to tell her that she couldn’t save her parents, not without risking the Reapers appearing again.

Several eyes were on them, watching in confusion as to why the young woman was sobbing. Glenda stood up and walked towards the pair. She put a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder and he looked at her.

“She can’t save her father and me, can she?” Glenda asked softly.

Seren looked at her mother with wide eyes.

“How did you…?” she stammered, purple eyes wide.

Glenda smiled.

“I am your mother.” Glenda said, putting a hand on Seren’s cheek. “You didn’t have to say anything. I suspected from the moment you saw me, and it was only confirmed when we spoke.” Glenda laughed lightly. “The way you looked at me is the same way many of your father’s colleagues have looked at loved ones who they thought were dead.”

“But how did you know about Tad?”

“Just a hunch.” Glenda replied. “You wouldn’t have made your Choice if your father were still alive.”

“I’m so sorry, Mam.” Seren sobbed.

The Doctor let go of Seren, allowing the mother and daughter pair to hold each other while he went and sat at the back beside Rose. The crowd that had been watching Seren and the Doctor turned away, going back to their conversations with one another, giving the pair as much privacy as possible – though they did not know the relationship between Glenda and the young woman, they could at least give them the illusion of privacy.

Glenda took Seren in her arms, holding her closely as she ran a soothing hand over her back. For several minutes, there was only the sound of quiet conversations around the room as they waited.

Suddenly, Seren tensed in her mother’s arms, stumbling backwards and clutching her chest. Her eyes were wide and she gasped in pain.

“Seren, what is it? What’s wrong?” Glenda asked frantically as the Doctor ran up to the two of them.

On the floor nearby, Little Seren and Siwan gasped as well, clutching their chests and began crying loudly, large tears rolling down their cheeks.

The Doctor caught Seren as she fell back while Glenda went to the girls. Jackie and Pete ran up as well, Rose right behind them. For the moment, Jackie put her irritation at Pete aside to focus on her darling god-daughters. Glenda picked Little Seren up and held her while Rose picked Siwan up. Baby Rose, who had been quiet in her mother’s arms, began crying as well at the sound of her god-sisters pain filled cries. Mickey, seeing his best friends crying, began crying as well. Pete picked up the little boy and held him close.

The rest of the small crowd watched with worry and concern, wondering what was going on. Thankfully, they stayed where they were and didn’t crowd around the small group at the front of the church.

Rose, Jackie, Pete and Glenda tried to calm the hysterical children while the Doctor was on the ground holding Seren . She was gasping, biting her lip to keep from screaming as pain-filled tears rolled down her cheeks. She had a tight grip on the Doctor’s arm as he held her.

“Seren, what is it? What’s wrong?” the Doctor asked frantically.

Seren opened her mouth and screamed, unable to hold back any longer. For several long seconds, the only sound in the church was Seren, Siwan and Little Seren screaming in pain while Mickey and Baby Rose screamed in sympathy and fear. The screaming completely drowned out the screeching of the Reapers that were outside.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was really only a few seconds, the screaming stopped as the three Chosen Ones and the two other children ran out of energy. Mickey and Baby Rose sniffled against the two people that were holding them while Little Seren, Siwan and Seren gasped, trying to catch their breaths.

“The Mara.” Seren gasped hoarsely. “They’re gone.”

“That was why you were in pain.” Glenda said in realization. “The connection is broken.”

“What connection?” Rose asked. “Who are the Mara?”

“Rose, don’t.” Seren said weakly, looking up at the blonde girl. “Please, just don’t.”

Glenda and Rose gently put Little Seren and Siwan on the chairs to let them rest. Mickey, who had stopped crying wriggled in Pete’s hold and the man put him down. The little boy went and climbed up onto the chair beside Little Seren.

“What’s he doing?” Rose asked, looking at the little boy as he turned in his chair so that he could watch the two girls, keeping vigil on his best friends.

“Keeping vigil.” Glenda replied, mirroring the little boy’s pose from beside Siwan. “He does this all the time. Whenever they’re together, he always protects them.”

Rose nodded, several things that didn’t make sense falling into place. She never did understand why Siwan didn’t blame Mickey when Seren disappeared, why Rhi refused to make an opinion. This was why. They remembered their childhood and how Mickey had always been there to protect the twins. She felt another wave of guilt surge through her at the thought of how much her behavior during that year must have hurt Mickey. She vowed to apologize to him for everything she had done the moment they return to their own time.

"Doctor? Are you there? Where are you?" Seren asked, frantically looking around.

The question drew Rose's attention to the older woman on the ground. She was frantically looking around trying to find the Doctor. Rose frowned, the man was right behind her, didn't she see him?

"Seren, I'm right here." The Doctor said soothingly, turning the young Welshwoman's head toward him. "I'm right here."

"I can't see you." Seren breathed softly, gasping as she looked at the man holding her with unseeing eyes.

"I'm right here. I'm not leaving you." The Doctor said softly, wrapping the trembling woman in his arms.

He stood up, picking Seren up in his arms and carrying her towards the back of the church, setting her down on the chairs and sitting down beside her, letting her lean against him. The entire time, he was talking softly to her, letting her know what he was doing and where they were, keeoing the suddenly blind girl calm. Rose, her mind full of realizations and thoughts, absently followed him, sitting down on his other side. She glanced at Seren, struck by how weak the woman looked. Seren had always been the strong one, Seren and Siwan both. They had always been the two women that Rose looked up to, both strong and independent. Now, seeing Seren barely able to sit without help, and unable to see, was a complete shock.

“When time gets sorted out…” Rose said quietly, trailing off.

“Everybody here forgets what happened.” The Doctor replied. “And don’t worry, the thing you changed will stay changed.”

The Doctor adjusted his hold on Seren as she shifted slightly to be able to hear the conversation. Jackie, who was sitting near the middle of the church by Bev, frequently sent contemptuous glances towards the back of the church where the small group was sitting. She had Rose in her arms, who was slowly falling asleep.

“You mean I’ll still be alive.” Pete’s voice said from behind them. He had quietly made his way back to the chairs, sitting down behind them just as Rose asked her question. Rose turned around to look at him in shock while Seren looked around the Doctor’s frame, the same shock on her face as well. “Though I’m meant to be dead.” The three travelers looked at him silently, unable to say anything. He nodded, taking their silence as confirmation. “That’s why I haven’t done anything with my life. Why I didn’t _mean_ anything.”

Seren bit her lip, her eyes watering as she listened to her god-father’s words.

“It doesn’t work like that.” The Doctor said, mostly for Seren’s benefit. She was gripping his shirt as tightly as she could, which wasn’t much considering how weak she was from the connection with the Mara being severed.

“Rubbish.” Pete scoffed. “I’m so useless I can’t even die properly.” He chuckled lightly as he looked at Seren and Rose. “Now it’s my fault all this has happened.”

Rose reached out and put a hand on his arm.

“This is _my_ fault.” She said firmly, despite her voice wavering slightly.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault." Pete said, covering her hand with his own, shaking his head.

“Her dad? How are you her dad?” Jackie asked quietly in a slightly heartbroken voice, making them all whip around to look at her. Her voice took on a horrified tone. “How old were you? 12?” The Doctor shook his head and distanced himself slightly from the drama, taking Seren in his arms and walking to the other end of the rows they had been sitting in. “Oh, that’s _disgusting_!”

“Oh, dear.” Seren muttered quietly, hearing the drama unfold as the Doctor gently put her down on the chair in front on him. She angled herself so that she could face the general direction of what was happening, feeling the Doctor behind her, his warmth seeping in to through her back.

“Jacks, listen.” Pete pleaded softly as he stood up and looked at his wife, Rose watching them. He gestured to Rose as he said, “This is Rose.”

“Rose?” Jackie repeated in a quiet tone that belied her anger. “How sick is that? You give my daughter a second hand name?” Pete rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. “How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?”

“Oh, for God's sake, look. It's the same Rose!” Pete said frustrated as he took the baby from Jackie’s arms and turned towards the older Rose.

The Doctor started in shock, Seren reacting to his actions, and the Time Lord ran towards Rose to keep her from touching the baby.

“Rose, no!” the Doctor cried out as Pete gently placed his infant daughter in the arms of his adult daughter.

The Doctor reached the two and snatched the baby away from the adult and giving her back to Jackie, but he was a moment too late as a Reaper appeared inside the church, screeching. The small group screamed as they caught sight of the creature.

“Everyone, behind me!” The Doctor yelled, grabbing Seren’s hands and pulling her towards him, holding her close while the group hurriedly gathered behind them.

Glenda, who was behind him, took Seren from the Doctor’s arms and supported the weakened woman while Bev, Stuart and Pete held Siwan, Little Seren and Mickey respectively.

“I am the oldest thing in here!” the Doctor yelled at the Reaper, walking forwards slightly.

Above them, the Reaper chirped menacingly at them and swooped down.

“Doctor!” Seren screamed in terror as the Reaper pounced on the Time Lord, making him disappear.

Glenda held Seren tightly as the younger woman stared unseeing in horror and shock as the crowd screamed, running away from the Reaper as it flew above them to the materialising TARDIS and touched it. As soon as the Reaper touched it, both vanished and the key fell to the floor, no longer glowing.

Seren, with a burst of energy that she couldn’t explain, ran forwards, her hands in front of her to keep her from bumping into anything. She fell to her knees at the spot the TARDIS had been, her strength completely spent. She picked up the key slowly, holding it in her hand.

“It's cold. The key's cold.” She said in barely a whisper, her entire frame trembling with the effort to stay upright. Pete and Glenda slowly walked up behind her, Rose half a step behind them. “Oh, _Duw_. He’s dead.” Glenda reached out to her adult daughter, but she shifted away from the touch slightly. "It's all my fault . . . all of you . . . both of you . . . the whole world."

Glenda and Pete pulled the distraught and trembling woman into a hug as she sobbed. She was utterly spent, so weak that she could barely sit up and had to lean against Pete and Glenda just to stay upright, the lifeless key held in her fist.

Outside, the sky began to darken as though a cloud moved to cover the sun.

“This is it.” Bev said as they heard the Reapers screeched outside the church. “There's nothing we can do. It's the end.”

Seren pulled away from their arms, using the chairs to push herself up to stand. She slowly walked away, using the chairs to support her weakened and trembling frame, as she went to a corner. She sat down on the ground, pulling her knees up and curling her arms around them as she rested her chin on her knees. Rose slowly walked to her and sat down, unable to say anything. All the blonde was able to do was put an arm around the older woman and silently support her as she grieved. The rest of the group slowly split up into smaller groups, some going to the altar to pray while others sat in the chairs and held each other.

Pete slowly walked over to join his adult daughter and god-daughter after leaving the Vestry, where he had seen the beige car repeatedly drive around the corner from the window.

“The Doctor really cared about you, Little Star.” He said to Seren as he came to a stop in front of the Welshwoman, making her turn her head up towards him at the sound of his voice. “He didn't want you to go through it again, not if there was another way. Now there isn't.”

Rose stood up, helping Seren stand as well, supporting the older woman with an arm around her tiny waist.

“What are you talking about, Uncle Pete?” Seren asked weakly.

“The car that should’ve killed me, loves.” Pete said. “It's here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he… er, he tried to protect me.” Rose and Seren’s eyes slowly filled with tears as the two women realized what the man was saying. “Still, he’s not in charge anymore. I am.”

“But you can’t.” Rose pleaded tearfully.

“Who am I, love?” Pete asked her, cupping her cheek with a gentle hand.

“My daddy.” Rose whispered tearfully.

“Who am I, Little Star?” He asked Seren, turning to her and gently cupping her cheek as well with his other hand.

“My Uncle Pete.” She replied, tears streaming down her face as Jackie walked up to them.

“Jackie, look at her.” Pete said as he stepped back from Rose and Seren, looking at his wife as he gestured to the younger blonde. “She's ours.”

Jackie looked at her husband for a moment before looking at Rose, who smiled at her tearfully.

“Oh, of course.” Jackie breathed and pulled Rose into a hug, the younger girl weeping silently. Jackie reached out and pulled Seren into a hug as well, the three women weeping silently and holding each other.

“I'm meant to be dead, Jackie.” Pete told Jackie after the three women separated separated. “You're going to get rid of me at last.”

He gave a trembling grin to his wife as she looked at him tearfully.

“Don’t say that.” She pleaded.

“For once in your life, trust me. It's got be done. You've got to survive, because you've got to bring up our daughter. And be there for our god-daughters.” Pete said to her and pulled her close for a sweet and tearful final kiss. Once they parted, he turned to Rose and said, “I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you, like I had been for Seren, Siwan and Rhiannon.”

“You would’ve been.” Rose said through her tears as her voice broke.

“But I can do this for you. I can be a proper dad to you now.” Pete told her strongly.

“But it’s not fair.” Rose cried, looking up at him as tears streamed down her face.

“I've had all these extra hours. No one else in the world has ever had that.” Pete said with a smile. “And on top of that, I got to see you.” He brushed a lock of her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. He turned and cupped Seren’s cheek with his other hand. “I got to see both of you. And you're both so beautiful. How lucky am I, eh? So, come on, do as your dad/ uncle says.” The two women wiped away their tears, though more streamed down their faces, as Rose picked up the vase and slowly handed it to him. “You going to be there for me, love?” Seren and Rose nodded. “Thanks for saving me.”

Pete pulled Rose, Seren and Jackie in for a tight hug, holding them close. Seren stepped back slightly to give the family a moment together. Glenda walked up to them and held her close as they watched the family embrace one last time.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imprint the moment into her memory so that she would never forget.  She tried to memorize the feel of his arms around her as he held her, the scent of his cologne and the strength of his arms.

After a long moment, that at the same time didn’t seem long enough, he pulled away from the two of them and, holding the vase, ran out of the church without looking back.

Rose, with her arm around Seren’s waist to support the older woman, followed as quickly as they could, stopping at the steps of the church with Glenda and Jackie a few steps behind them.

Pete ran to the gate and stopped, waiting for the car to appear. He saw the car appear just as a Reaper spotted him. He ran to the corner and stopped in the middle of the road, directly in the path of the oncoming car. The driver, his eyes widening in shock and surprise, flung his arm over his face.

“Goodbye, love.” Pete said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes as the car hit him.

The vase broke, shattering into countless pieces, as soon as it hit the ground and the Reapers vanished.

The Doctor walked up to Seren and Rose, stopping beside the Welshwoman. Rose had her eyes closed as her father was hit by the car while Seren was unable to turn away from the sight. Seren gasped as she felt her strength and her sight returning, the connection with the Mara reforming as the Doctor gently put his hand on her shoulder.

“Go to him, quick.” He told the two women softly.

They nodded and ran to the corner, Rose holding Seren's hand as her sight was still blurry, falling to their knees next to the dying man. One’s father and the other’s god-father. The driver was standing next to the car, this time having stopped as soon as he realized he had hit someone. Pete gazed into his little girls’ tear-filled eyes, a smile on his face as he got to see who his daughter and god-daughter will grow up to be. He had no regrets as he breathed his last breath.

“Seren! Siwan!” Seren heard Glenda yell.

Looking towards the sound, Seren saw her younger self and Siwan running towards them, Glenda, Jackie and everyone from the wedding congregating by the church gates, wondering what was going on and what drew the two girls outside, screaming. Little Seren and Siwan fell to their knees on Pete’s other side, opposite the two older women.

“Uncle Pete! Uncle Pete!” Little Seren screamed.

“Wake up! Now isn’t sleep time.” Siwan said tearfully.

The two little girls shook Pete’s lifeless body, trying to rouse him. Seren and Rose kissed Pete’s forehead one after the other before standing up and picked up the girls, Seren taking Siwan and Rose taking Little Seren. They carried the crying girls back to the church, letting them go at the gate before turning and walking away.

The two women slowly walked towards the Doctor, who was waiting for them across the road. He silently took Seren’s hand and the three made their way to the relocated TARDIS outside the Tandoori a few feet away.

Entering the magnificent ship, she greeted Seren and the Doctor with a joyful hum at the back of their minds. The two smiled slightly as the Doctor went to the console and piloted them back to Rose and Seren’s time.

“Where are we going?” Rose asked after a few minutes of silence. She was leaning against one of the corals while Seren sat on the jump-seat with her eyes closed and the Doctor fiddled with the controls on the console.

“Your time.” The Doctor replied. Seren opened her eyes and straightened up, looking at the Time Lord’s back through blurry eyes as he turned to the blonde. “I understand why you did what you did. Wanting to save your loved ones is a powerful feeling. And I’m not angry, not anymore.” He sighed as he moved back and sat next to Seren, still looking at Rose. “But I need some time before I can look at you and not see what you nearly caused.”

Rose nodded sadly in understanding.

"I guess i have to go back to wearing my glasses." Seren commented, looking around and squinting. Everything was incredibly blurry and trying to focus was giving her a headache.

"You have you glasses with you?" Rose asked, looking at the woman.

"Yea. I packed them in case I would need them, mostly out of habit." Seren replied, turning to the blonde's general direction and giving a wry grin to the girl's blurry figure. "Apparently it was a smart move."

"I'm sorry." Rose said softly, sincerely as she looked at her god-sister. 

The woman was trying to be string, for Rose's sake, but was absolutely terrified.

"Just remember, there are somethings you don't know or understand." Seren said softly, leaning back against the Doctor. "When the Doctor tells you something, you can argue and ask to understand, but he knows what he's talking about."

Rose nodded sadly and leaned against one of the corals as they fell silent once more. Seren sighed and curled up against the Doctor, letting her eyes fall shut as she felt his warmth seep through her comfortingly.

The TARDIS wheezed and groaned, shaking as she landed in the Powell Estate. As Rose walked out of the TARDIS, taking a moment to apologize to the Doctor and thank him for taking her, Seren checked the time and saw that it had been a few hours.

“Siwan will be at work right now.” She told Rose and the Doctor when she made no move to follow the blonde out. “Tell Aunt Jackie I said hi, and that I love her.”

Rose nodded and hugged Seren one more time before turning and heading towards the flats.

“Next adventure?” the Doctor asked, turning to Seren as they walked back inside the TARDIS and closed the door behind them.

“Next adventure.” Seren said with a smile, though it was shadowed by sorrow.

_ Links: _

_*Seren lehenga -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478174109/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478174109/)

_*Seren hair_ \- [_https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478101212/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478101212/)

 _*Seren shoes -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478312311/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478312311/)


	12. The Empty Child

** The Empty Child **

The TARDIS flew through the Vortex in pursuit of a small mauve spacecraft. Inside, the Doctor was frantically piloting the shaking ship and keep the spacecraft in sight.

“What is the emergency?” Seren asked as she stumbled slightly, grabbing hold of a coral pillar to keep from falling.

She was dressed in a Union Flag spaghetti strap tank top* that Siwan and Rose had given her a few years ago as a joke, a red leather A-line miniskirt* and red 6” high heeled ankle-strap sandals*. On her wrist, she wore a red crystal rhinestone bracelet watch* and had pulled the top half of her hair into two half-up pigtails while the rest tumbled down her back in loose curls*. On her face were her rectangle dark brown wire-framed glasses, having resumed wearing them following the recent trip home after the TARDIS ran a scan on her and informed her that it will take some time for her eye sight to return to normal following the appearance of the Reapers and the brief sterilization of the Earth, including the Mara.

“It’s mauve.” The Doctor replied, holding a lever down.

He was wearing his usual outfit with a navy-blue jumper.

“Mauve?” Seren repeated in confusion, moving to grab on to the console as the TARDIS shook.

“The universally recognized colour for danger.” He replied, holding down a lever with one hand as he inputted a series of commands into the keyboard with the other.

“What happened to red?”

“That's just humans.” The Doctor replied, glancing at the pretty brunette beside him. “By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings! All those red alerts, all that dancing! It's got a very basic flight computer. I’ve hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go.”

“And how safe is it?” Seren asked, slightly worried.

“Totally!” The Doctor replied cheerfully with a wide grin.

He reached under the console grab hold of a lever when it sparked with a minor explosion. He jumped back slightly, holding his hand as Seren looked at him incredulously, raising her eyebrow.

“Okay - _reasonably_. Should have said ‘reasonably’ there.” He amended sheepishly as Seren groaned. He glanced at the monitor and became frantic. “No, no, no, no! It’s jumping time tracks, getting away from us.” He adjusted the controls to follow the craft through the time streams.

“What exactly are we chasing?” Seren asked, watching him run around the console as he adjusted the controls. She wisely decided to stay back to give him room, opting to hold onto a coral pillar for dear life as the TARDIS shook.

“No idea.” The Doctor said frantically.

“Then why are we chasing it?” Seren asked incredulously.

“It’s mauve and dangerous, and about 30 seconds from the centre of London.” He replied.

He grabbed hold of the console as the TARDIS gave a particularly violent shudder. Seren clung to the pillar.

They followed the craft straight into the centre of London. The TARDIS materialized in a back alley between two terraces.

“Okay, we’ve landed.” The Doctor said as Seren grabbed her cross-body purse*, slinging it across her chest and her red leather jacket*, putting it on, but leaving it unzipped. She double checked she had her mobile, Bo-Staffs and other essentials in the deceptively small bag. The purse was one that Idris had given her when she was getting dressed, so it was bigger on the inside.

“D’you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?” the Doctor asked randomly as they exited the TARDIS.

“5 days?” Seren asked shrugging, walking out and looking around at the alley. “Or is that just when we’re out of milk?”

“Of all the species in all the Universe, it has to be a cow that produces it!” he commented with a grin.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Seren said, looking at the man, “We’re almost out of milk and other groceries, so we should get some while we’re here.”

“Must have come down somewhere quite close.” He said after nodding at his Companion as they began walking down the alley. “Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month.”

“A month! We were right behind it!” Seren exclaimed in shock.

“It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out.” The Doctor said defensively as they turned down another alley. “Do _you_ want to drive?”

“How much is a little?” She asked before adding in excitement, “Can I?”

“A bit.” He replied, chuckling at her excitement. “Maybe.”

“Is that exactly a bit?” Seren asked, wanting to be sure since his concept of measurement tended to be slightly skewed.

“Ish.” He added, slightly sheepish.

“What's the plan, then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?” Seren asked, becoming excited at the idea of using alien tech.

“Seren, it landed in the middle of London with a very loud bang. We’re going to ask.” The Doctor said as he took out his psychic paper bill-fold and showed it to her.

“You do remember that I can’t see what’s written on it, right?” Sere reminded him, looking at the bill-folds and seeing only a blank piece of paper.

“Right, sorry.” He muttered. “It says ‘Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids’.”

They came up to a door marked ‘Deliveries Only’ and he took out his sonic screwdriver from his pocket.

“Sorry.” The Doctor told the slightly put out Welshwoman.

“It’s not very Spock, is it, just asking people.” Seren muttered as the Doctor put his ear to the door and listened.

“Door, music, people - what do you think?” he asked her, his ear still to the door.

“I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once. Would it kill you?” Seren asked him irritated as he knelt to sonic the lock.

“Are you sure about that tank top?” he asked, changing the subject and gesturing to the Union Flag tank top she was wearing.

“What’s wrong with my tank top?” she asked with a frown, brushing her hair back from her shoulders.

The Doctor didn’t answer as he got the door unlocked and opened it.

 _“Mummy!”_ Seren whirled around as she heard a voice, looking up in an attempt to locate the source. “ _Mummy!”_

“Seren, come on if you’re coming.” The Doctor called to her. “Won’t take a minute.”

He turned and headed inside when he didn’t get a reply, thinking the woman was just going to wait outside.

“ _Mummy?_ ”

Seren looked up and saw a little boy on one of the rooftops.

“Oh, _Duw,_ ” she whispered before raising her voice, “Doctor! Doctor! There’s a child up there…” she trailed off when she looked back towards the door and saw that he had gone inside. “Oh, I am so going to kill him.” She muttered to herself before looking up and raising her voice. “Are you all right? How did you get up there?” She ran through the alley, looking for a way up to the roof so that she could help the child. She ran past the TARDIS, coming across a metal fire escape staircase and began running up, looking up through the gap between the buildings to find the child that she lost sight of.

_“Mummy?”_

Hearing the child’s voice, she turned towards the sound as she reached the top of the stairs and ran onto the flat roof it was secured to. She looked up and saw that the child was on a roof that was at least two stories higher than her current position.

_“Mummy?”_

She slowly walked across the roof towards the building the child was standing on, noticing the uneven terrain beneath her heeled feet. She moved as quick as she could while still being cautious, knowing she would be no help to the child if she ended up injuring herself.

“Hold on, don’t move!” Seren yelled up to the child when she reached the wall of the building.

The child looked up towards the darkened night sky for a moment before looking down at her. Seren looked along the wall for a way up, seeing a rope dangling down towards her. She grabbed it and pulled to make sure it was secure. Feeling it remain firm despite the tugging, she took her glasses off and folded one side before tucking them into the neckline of her top. Once the glasses were out of the way, she began climbing the wall, using the rope to aid her.

 _“Mummy,”_ the child said, looking down at her when she was about halfway up the wall. She was heaving with the exertion, having been quite some time since she last climbed a rope or a wall, not to mention that she never wore sandals or a leather skirt when climbing. He looked up and pointed to something in the sky. _“Balloon!”_

Seren looked up towards the blurry figure of the balloon and noticed the rope moving away from the wall. Looking up along the line, she saw that the rope was dangling _from_ the barrage balloon and she was beginning to float further away from the child and the wall.

“Okay Seren, this is just like zip lining.” Seren muttered to herself as she floated further away from the wall and over buildings. “Except for the bit that there’s no harness and no safety net.” She shrugged as much as possible as she clung to the rope, adjusting her hold so the rope wrapped around her wrists to increase the hold. “Might as well enjoy the ride.”

She let out a whoop of excited joy as searchlights began coming the night sky. Her excitement and joy faded as she caught a glimpse of explosions down below. Looking up, she saw the blurry shapes of a squadron of German planes dropping bombs on the city. Sirens blared as another squadron of German planes headed straight for her.

“Okay, maybe not this tank-top.” She muttered with a worried expression, glancing down at the top that was peeking through her open jacket. “Or this skirt for that matter.”

The planes flew past her, around her, the barrage balloon floating towards the middle of the city. She bit back a scream as one of the planes flew incredibly close to her, close enough for her to feel the power of the propellers beneath the metal wings as it flew past her. There were a series of explosions beneath her in the area of Westminster one after another.

A massive explosion beneath her, large enough for her to feel the heat of the flames against her bare legs despite how high up she was, startled her and she lost her grip on the thick rope.

She screamed as she fell towards the flames below, the scream being lost amidst the sounds of the sirens and the explosions. She flailed wildly, feeling the heat of the flames beneath her slowly getting stronger until she was caught in a transparent blue beam.

Suspended in mid-air, she flailed in panic as the beam kept her from falling any further and prevented the heat of the flames from reaching her.

“Okay, okay, I’ve got you.” A voice called to her, reassuring and calm.

“Who’s got me?” Seren asked as she stopped flailing and panicking. “And you know, how?”

She looked around her, seeing the sight below through the transparent blue beam – blurrier than before because of the light distorting the sight as well as her own weakened vision. She reached out to touch the beam.

“I’m just programming your decent pattern. Stay as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field.” The voice said.

“Okay.” Seren called back in reply, drawing her hand away from the beam just before touching it when she heard the order. She looked through the light field as she muttered to herself, “Just think of this as tree-top trekking. Only without the trees, without the safety nets and without the harness.”

“Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone?” The voice added. Seren gave a snort of incredulous disbelief and the voice added, “No, seriously, it interferes with my instrument.”

“You know, no one really believes that.” Seren commented as she took her phone out of her purse and turned it off before putting it back, followed by her glasses – the last thing she wanted to do was break her only pair of glasses, having not gotten a new pair in quite some time due to not having needed them.

“Thank you. That’s much better.” The voice said.

“Oh yeah, that’s a relief! I’m hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with a Union Jack across my chest while wearing a mini skirt! But hey, my mobile’s off!” Seren ended the rant hysterically as several planes flew past over her head.

 “Be with you in a moment.” The voice said with a chuckle as Seren breathed heavily, rubbing her bare legs against the cold wind. Several tense seconds later, the voice called out, “Ready for you? Hold tight!”

“To what?!” Seren screamed.

“Fair point.” The voice said.

Without any further warning, Seren began hurtling down the light field. She let out a scream of delight, holding her skirt down over her legs. She landed in a pair of strong arms and leaned her head over her saviour’s well-built shoulder, coughing as her hair hid her face from sight.

“I’ve got you. You’re fine, you’re just fine.” The man the voice belonged to said as she coughed. “The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little.”

She leaned back and looked at his blurry figure, her coughing fit ended for the moment as she breathed heavily from the sudden rush.

“Hello.” She said after catching her breath following the coughing fit.

“Hello.” The man replied, a wide smile on his face.

“Can you let me down, please?” she asked, realizing that she was still in his arms.

“Yeah, sure.” The man said, setting her down gently on her feet. “Are you all right?”

“I think so.” Seren replied, blinking as her surrounding blurred. She put a hand to her head as she stumbled slightly.

“You look a little dizzy.” He told her with a worried expression on his face.

“I _feel_ a little dizzy.” Seren said as her eyes rolled up behind her head and she fainted.

The man caught her and carefully put her down on the nearby bunk. He stepped back and looked at her, taking in her beautiful features. The long dark ringlets pulled into two half-pigtails at the top of her head while the rest fanned out around her on the bunk, the large purple doe-eyes that were hidden by pale white lids framed by long thick lashes that resembled dark smudges against her high rosy cheekbones, her arched eyebrows, small button nose and pale snow-white skin. He ran his eyes down the woman’s hourglass figure that was flattered by her tank top, jacket and skirt, the long legs that ended with tiny feet encased in ankle-strapped high heels.

If there was any doubt before, there definitely wasn’t now – this woman was not from this time period. She was the one he was waiting for, and now all he had to do was wait for her to wake up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seren woke up with a slight groan, sitting up and rubbing her head. She stood up from the bunk and looked around, taking in the darkness of her surroundings which made seeing all the more difficult.

“Better now?” a voice asked, startling her and causing her to whirl around to face the direction of the sound.

“Yes, much.” She replied, nodding before asking, “Are there any lights here?” She began rummaging through her purse, trying to find her glasses. “I already can’t see very well, the darkness is making it worse.”

In lieu of a reply, the man reached up and pressed a button, making a few lamp fixtures glow, bathing the ship in a warm reddish light.

“Hello.” He said with a grin, sitting in the captain’s chair.

“Hello.” Seren replied with a smile, glancing at him before going back to looking through her purse. With the additional light, she was able to find her glasses and put them on before turning to the man that saved her. “I didn’t say earlier, thank you for saving me.”

She smiled up at him, taking in his appearance now that she could see clearly. He was handsome, with sparkling blue eyes, a prominent lantern jawline and a bright white smile. She knew him to be well-built and strong from her brief moment in his arms.

“You’re welcome.” He replied, smiling at her.

“I’m Jones, Seren Jones.” Seren said, putting her purse on the bunk. “Who are you?”

“Captain Jack Harkness, 133 Squadron, Royal Air Force - American volunteer.” He replied, taking out an ID card and handing it to her.

“Liar.” She replied, looking at the card. He gave her affronted look and she continued. “This is psychic paper. It’s supposed to tell me whatever you want it to tell me.”

“How do you know?” Jack asked, sitting in his chair and leaning back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Two things. One,” Seren replied. “I have a friend who uses psychic paper.”

“Ah.” He said in understanding. “And two?”

“Two, psychic paper doesn’t work on me.” He looked at her in surprise, having rarely met anyone the paper didn’t work on. “Honest. I can’t read it. My friend says I’m too clever for it.” She said, seeing the surprised look on his face as she handed the card back to him.

“Well, that’s useful.” He commented, taking it back. Noticing the writing on it, he read it. “So you’re single, but you think you might have feelings for a friend of yours.”

Seren’s eyes widened in surprise, a blush dusting her cheeks. “What?”

“Yeah, it says so right here.” Jack said, pointing to the card, smirking at her.

“Can we try to get along without the psychic paper, please?” Seren asked instead of replying the questions, her expression completely mortified.

“That would be better, wouldn’t it?” he asked with a laugh, the amusement at her reaction still evident.

“Yeah.” Seren replied, looking around the small cramped ship. “Nice ship.”

“Gets me around.” He replied, shrugging.

“Very Spock.” Seren muttered quietly, taking in the wires that were hanging from the ceiling as she gently ran her fingers over the hull.

“Who?”

“Have you considered doing something about the mess of wires?” She asked, ducking a particularly low grouping of wires to avoid being hit on the head, adding, “Not a local boy, I take it?”

“You sound Welsh.” He commented as he opened his wrist strap and scanned her. “The accent and finding fault after being shown something fantastic.”

“I _am_ Welsh.” Seren muttered, glaring at him for the comment. Though she had to admit, it was pretty Welsh to find fault in something amazing and she did mean what she said when she had to duck another mess of wires that were hanging dangerously low.

“Let’s see, a cell phone, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics and leathers that won't be around for at least another two decades.” Jack commented, reading the results of his scan and looking up at her as she climbed the chair to look outside the window. “I take it you not a local girl.”

“You’re right.” Seren replied, glancing at him before turning to look out the window.

She hissed slightly when she rested her hands on the console and she was reminded of the rope burns on her palms.

“Burn your hands on the rope?” Jack asked in concern.

“Yeah.” She replied as she heard a bomb whistle past them. “It’s nothing. I have a first-aid kit in my bag. I’ll be fine in a few days.” She added absently, turning to look out the window. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock as she took in the scenery. “Oh wow. We’re parked in mid-air! No one can see us?”

“No.” he replied. He glanced at her purse, wondering how the tiny thing could hold a first aid kit before turning back to the woman. “Can I look at your hands for a moment?”

“Why?” Seren asked with a frown, turning around once more to look at him as she moved to sit in the chair.

“Please?” he said, slightly more firmly.

“Do you have a medical kit on board?” Seren asked as she held her hands out to him.

“Something better.” He replied as he sat on a stool in front of her, taking out a cylindrical device and began running it over her hands. He glanced at her as she watched him. “You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are.” Seren raised her eyebrow in response as he looked back at her hands and continued to speak. “I can spot a Time Agent a mile away.”

“Oh?” Seren said with a raised eyebrow, deciding the better course of action would be to play along for as long as possible. There had to be a reason why someone with alien technology was hanging around the 1940’s at the height of the Blitz.

“I’ve been expecting one of you guys to show up.” He continued. “Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?”

He looked at her as he asked, only half joking.

“If not by zip line, then might as well travel by balloon.” Seren replied cheekily as he removed his scarf and began wrapping it around her wrists to keep her hands together. “What are you doing? I have a med-kit in my purse, I can-”

“Try to keep still.” He told her, cutting her off as he held her bound wrists with one large hand and reach up with the other, pressing a button that above her head. There was a slight beeping sound and a swarm of glowing light, looking almost like tiny golden fireflies, flew above the burns on her cupped hands.

“Nanogenes.” Seren said with wonder, having just recently read about them on the TARDIS.

“Sub-atomic robots.” Jack confirmed. “The air in here is full of them.”

Seren watched with wonder as the nanogenes worked their magic and healed her wounds. Several seconds later, Jack reached up and pressed the button again, causing the glowing robots to disappear.

“They just repaired three layers of your skin.” Jack told Seren as he removed the scarf from her wrists.

Seren could only stare speechlessly at her hands, amazed at the unmarked skin. She looked closer and saw that even a few callouses that had remained from her work out on the TARDIS earlier that day had been healed as well.

“Thank you.” Seren breathed, looking around the ship and at Jack. “This is amazing.”

“Shall we get down to business?” he asked, standing up and moving away.

“Business?” Seren asked slightly confused, noticing that he had pulled out a bottle of champagne and was standing by the bunk.

“Shall we have a drink on the balcony?” He asked her with a suave smirk, pressing a button on one of the panels and a hatch lowered from the ceiling, creating an opening to the roof of the spaceship. Without waiting for a reply, he began climbing the stairs, calling over his shoulder, “Bring up the glasses.”

Seren looked around and saw two glasses on a shelf and grabbed one before following Jack up the stairs to the roof. Reaching the top, she cautiously moved forward over the smooth surface of the invisible spaceship. Jack removed the wrapping around the cork of the bottle, putting the garbage in his pocket. She couldn’t hold back her amused smile at seeing Big Ben standing tall beside them, the man evidently having decided to park next to the monument.

“No need for an alarm clock.” She said with a laugh. “Why are you tethered to Big Ben?”

“First rule of active camouflage.” Jack replied with a chuckle, reaching into his coat pocket and withdrawing a remote. He pressed a button on the remote and the ship became visible beneath their feet. “Park somewhere you’ll remember.”

Seren let out a delighted laugh at the sight as Jack put the remote away and popped the cork on the champagne bottle with a loud bang. Jack’s laugh mingled with Seren’s as she held the glass out to him.

“Only one?” he asked, his laughter fading as he looked at her in confusion.

“I don’t drink.” She replied and he nodded in understanding.

He took the glass and sat down, Seren following suite and taking off her heels, putting them beside her. As Jack drank his champagne, they looked out at the searchlights still shinning against the sky as planes flew passed them. The city below was burning, the fires and explosion going off periodically.

Seren leaned back, resting her palms flat against the ship as she leaned back, crossing her ankles in front of her. Beside her Jack refilled his glass before putting the bottle down between them.

“So, why don’t you drink?” he asked curiously.

 “It’s just a personal opinion, but I find alcohol to be a vile drink that turns even the most respectable of people into complete scoundrels.” Seren replied, looking up at the handsome Captain. She bit back a frown as she looked at him, there was something about him that was familiar, but she just couldn’t put a finger on it. She shrugged slightly and looked back out at the city.

Jack looked at her curiously, lowering his glass.

“You sound like you speak from experience.” He commented.

“I used to work at a hospital and as a paramedic. So, I know what alcohol does to a human’s organs.” She replied, pushing her hair back when it blew into her face from the wind. “Let’s just say that I’ve seen enough of the effects of alcohol to be very firm in the decision to never drink.”

He nodded in understanding, deciding not to probe when he caught a glimpse of her pained expression.

“What does your name mean?” he asked, completely changing the subject.

She looked at him, slightly taken aback at the abrupt change.

“Are you trying to change the subject?” she asked with sly smile.

“Is it working?” He asked back with a grin.

“Yes it is.” She replied with a slight laugh.

“So, what does it mean?”

“‘Seren’ means ‘Star’ and ‘Rhoswyn’, my middle name, means ‘Rose’.” Seren replied with a smile.

“Star Rose.” Jack said contemplatively. He shook his head. “No, that doesn’t sound right.” He frowned thoughtfully for a moment as Seren stared at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering what he was up to. “I know, ‘Star-Flower’.” He nodded, turning to her and smiling widely. “Yup, that’s what you are, Star-Flower.”

Seren stared at him with wide eyes. No one ever called her that, no one except-

“The Face of Boe.” She whispered quietly, so quietly that her voice blended with the blowing wind.

“What’s that?” Jack asked, a frown crossing his face. “Is that okay? Can I call you that?”

“It’s nothing.” Seren replied, shaking her head and brushing it off as a coincidence. “Yea, you can call me that if you want. I don’t mind.” She put her sandals back on. At his questioning look, saying regretfully, “I should be getting back. It’s getting rather late.” She slowly stood up, using the roof as a hold to keep from slipping.

“We’re discussing business.” Jack told her, leaning back against one arm.

“This isn’t business.” Seren told him with a smile, pointing to the half-empty bottle of champagne he had consumed himself. “This is champagne.”

“I try never to discuss business with a clear head.” Jack replied, raising his glass to her before emptying it in one go. He put the glass down and stood up, walking towards her. Instantly, his demeanour went from playful to serious as he asked, “Are you travelling alone? Are you authorised to negotiate with me?”

“What would we be negotiating?” Seren asked instead of replying, wanting to get as many details as possible before answering.

“I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy.” Jack said. “Are you in power to make payment?”

“I can hear your offer, but before I make any agreements, I would need to speak with my companion.” Seren replied diplomatically, polite but vague.

“Companion?” Jack repeated dismayed.

“Yes, I really should be getting back to him.” Seren replied, looking down towards the currently closed hatch.

“Him?” Jack repeated in the same dismayed tone.

Seren looked at her watch and groaned.

“Broken.” She muttered. “And in just got this watch.” She looked up at the still somewhat disappointed man, oblivious to his disappointment. “Do you know what time it is?”

Jack cleared his throat, a slightly disappointed expression on his face. He took his remote out if his jacket pocket, pointed it at Big Ben and pressed a button. The clock face lit up as it struck 9:30.

Seren’s own face lit up with amazement at the sight as she laughed.

“That was flashy.” She commented, looking back up at him, her laugh fading though the bright smile was still on her face.

“So, when you say ‘your companion’, just how disappointed should I be?” Jack asked curiously.

He reached out and put his hands on her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Seren put her own tiny hands on his muscled forearms as added support.

“We’re standing in mid-air…” Seren started, stepping back slightly to look up at him.

“Mmm-hmm.” Jack nodded, letting go of her waist and taking her hand.

“On a spaceship in the middle of a German air-raid.” Seren finished. “Do really you think now is a good time to be flirting with me?”

As she asked her question, Jack raised her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He tilted his head to the side and pretended to think about her question.

“Perhaps not.” Jack replied after moment, curling his larger hand around her tiny one for a moment before letting go and stepping back.

“You remind of someone my sister talks about.” Seren said with a laugh. “Well, complains about really.”

“Who?”

“This man, this Captain that works in Cardiff but regularly makes trip to London for work. Whenever he goes to the hospital she works at, he’s always flirting with her.” Seren replied, her laugh fading as she looked out at the city below. “Even whenever she meets him in Cardiff when she makes the trips home, he would flirt with her.”

“Sounds like my kind of guy.” Jack said with a chuckle. “Do you like Glenn Miller?”

“Sort of.” She replied, nodding. “Only my favourites. My sister is more of a fan than I am.”

“Which ones?” He asked as he pointed the remote over his shoulder and pressed a button, causing ‘Moonlight Serenade’ to play.

“Moonlight Serenade is definitely one of them.” Seren replied with a bright smile as she listened to the soft strains.

“Good.” Jack said as he smiled at her, moving close and pulling her into his arms, leading her in a slow dance.

As they dance, Jack spoke to her, telling her about the item he had that the Agency might be interested in.

“It's 1941, the height of the London Blitz, the height of the German bombing campaign, and something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is, because I parked it.” He chuckled lightly. “If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Now, shall we discuss payment?”

“Let me get this straight. You used to be a Time Agent, but now you’re a freelancer?” Seren asked, looking up at him with large doe eyes.

“Well, that's a little harsh.” Jack commented in a mock hurt tone. “I like to think of myself as a criminal.” He tightened his hold on her and she laughed. He smiled at her before becoming serious. “Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater.”

Seren pulled back, looking at him hesitantly.

“I think we should find my companion.” She said finally after several moments. “Like I said earlier, I could hear your offer, but I can’t make any agreements. Not without consulting with him first.”

“Well, maybe we should go find him then.” Jack replied, letting go of her and stepping back.

“How are you going to do that?” Seren asked.

“Easy. I’ll do a scan for alien tech.” he replied, opening the flap of his wrist strap and entering a few commands into the keypad.

“Amazing, a former Time Agent who is now a freelancer and likes to think of himself as  a criminal, is more _professional_ than a 900 year old Time Lord.” Seren muttered quietly to herself, rolling her eyes.

“Found him.” Jack sack said several seconds later. “He’s at Albion Hospital.”

“Let’s get going.” Seren said briskly. She looked around at the rooftop and looked back at the ex-Time Agent. “How are we going to get down?”

He laughed lightly as he moved towards her. He opened the hatch and gestured towards the ladder.

“After you.” He said with a smile.

Seren smiled at him and made her way down the ladder, Jack following behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pair arrived at Albion Hospital almost half-an-hour later, carefully avoiding the guards that were stationed at Limehouse Green at the bottom of the hill. They came to a stop at the hospital’s wrought iron gates, seeing the padlock.

Jack held his arm out to the lock, his wrist strap open and intending to use it to open the lock. Seren rolled her eyes.

“Move over.” She said, nudging him out of the way and pulling a bobby pin out of her hair. She knelt in front of the lock and inserted the pin into the key hole, jimmying the lock open in half the time it would have taken Jack to open the padlock with his wrist strap.

She opened the gate and entered the grounds, turning back to the ex-Time Agent that hadn’t moved. He was staring at her with his jaw hanging open, surprise and shock written all over his face.

“Are you coming?” she asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Jack replied, shaking his head and following her.

They quietly entered the hospital, Jack taking the lead as he used his wrist-strap’s scanner to locate the Doctor.

As they walked, their footsteps echoed in the eerily silent hospital. Seren suppressed the urge to shiver. It was too quiet, especially for a hospital. Even at night, there is always the hustle and bustle of a busy hospital, especially during a war. Where are the nurses, the doctors and orderlies? She could see the patients laying on the beds, but there were no Ward Sisters in the rooms, keeping a close watch on the sick, there were no doctors or nurses doing rounds and checking on the patients, there was no one else.

“Hello?’ Jack called out.

The call startled Seren out of her musings. She saw Jack peeking into the rooms, his wrist strap open as he ran the locator scans, evidently going with the old fashioned approach to trying to find someone – draw them to you.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Seren called out, deciding to go with Jack’s approach, if only to break the eerie silence that filled the hospital.

“Hello?” Jack called. The Doctor walked out of a ward at the end of the hall and made his way towards them. Seeing the man coming towards them, Jack closed his wrist strap. “Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting.” He stuck his hand out and shook the Doctor’s hand. “Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow at the last statement and turned to Seren.

“I had to tell him about being Time Agents.” Seren explained. “He had realized who I was within the first few minutes of meeting me.”

She gave a sheepish smile and he nodded in understanding.

“And it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spock.” Jack said cheerfully, clapping the man on the shoulder as he walked past and into the ward the Doctor had just walked out of.

“Mr. Spock?” The Doctor asked her quietly, an adorably confused expression on his face.

“I had to improvise!” Seren said defensively. “I don’t know what your real name is.”

“Anyway, never mind that. Where have you been?” The Doctor asked her with a worried expression. “We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll, especially not dressed in a miniskirt.” He gestured to her skirt and bare legs.

“Who went strolling?” Seren asked cheekily in response, turning and walking down the hall towards the ward Jack was in. “I went by barrage balloon. It’s the best way to see an air raid.”

“What?!” The Doctor asked in a loud whisper, shocked.

“What’s a Chula warship?” she asked, turning her head to look at him without breaking her stride.

“Chula?” the Doctor repeated softly with a frown on his face, coming to a stop as Seren continued into the ward.

Seren found Jack examining the patients with his wrist strap. She stood next to the Doctor in the middle of the ward, between the two rows of beds along the walls, both of them with their arms crossed over their chests. They watched the Time Agent as he methodically examined a handful of the bedridden patients, in a move similar to the Doctor’s a short while earlier.

“This just isn’t possible.” Jack exclaimed. He crossed the ward to examine yet another patient. “How did this happen?”

“What kind of Chula ship landed here?” The Doctor asked with a frown.

“What?” Jack asked, freezing and whirling around to look at him.

“He said it was a warship.” Seren said, causing the Doctor to look at her. “He stole it and parked it somewhere. And in less than two hours, a bomb is going to fall on it unless _we_ make him an offer.”

“What kind of warship?” The Doctor asked as Jack paced.

“Does it matter?” Jack asked as he stopped pacing. “It’s got nothing to do with this.” He gestured to the patients on the beds.

“ _This_ started at the bomb site.” The Doctor said loudly, pointing to the beds as he stalked towards the ex-Time Agent. “It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?”

“An ambulance!” Jack shouted as Seren walked over to the two men. “Look,” Jack opened his wrist strap and created a hologram of the space-craft they had followed. “That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle- love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait…”

“Bait?” Seren repeated in irritation, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk.” He replied as he turned off the hologram and closed his wrist strap.

“You told me it was a war ship. Armed to the teeth.” Seren told him.

“They have ambulances in wars.” Jack patronizingly said to her. He walked away, annoyance spread across his face. He stopped a few feet away and said with his back still turned to them. “It was a con.” He turned around to face them as he continued, “I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents. You're not, are you?"

“Just a pair of freelancers.” Seren replied.

“Oh. I should’ve known.” Jack said with a scoff. “The way you guys are blending in with the local color! I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, especially with that skirt,” he gestured to Seren, who looked down at her clothes. She silently thought that the man had a point, she really wasn’t blending in. “but U-Boat Captain?” The Doctor raised his eyebrows and looked down at his outfit. “Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship.”

“What _is_ happening here?” Seren asked with a frown, looking around with sorrow in her large expressive orbs.

“Human DNA is being rewritten. By an idiot.” The Doctor replied, looking at her.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things.” He said. “But why? What's the point?”

Seren walked to one of the beds, leaning over to examine one of the patients, pulling a pair of surgical gloves out of her purse and putting them on. She was about to reach out to touch the patient when all of them suddenly sat up.

Seren jumped back with a frightened gasp, stumbling slightly and catching herself on the bedframe. Jack, who had been standing between two beds on the other side of the ward, jumped back as well.

“Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?”

“What’s happening?” Seren asked in fear as she slowly walked backwards to the Doctor. Jack moved back as well, joining the two.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor said, holding Seren close as they watched the patients and Constantine all stand up.

“Mummy.” The patients said in unison.

The three time travellers walked backwards, their eyes trained on the slowly advancing group of patients.

“Don’t let them touch you!” The Doctor cried.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but what happens if they touch us?” Seren asked, a slightly frightened expression on her face.

“You’re looking at it.” The Doctor replied softly.

“I had to ask.” Seren groaned, clutching the Doctor’s arm.

The patients slowly backed them up against the wall, closing in around the three time travellers.

“Mummy, mummy.” The patients said. “Mum-my. Mummy. Mum-my. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”

_ Links (in order of appearance): _

_*Seren Union Flag tank top -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344643/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344643/)

_*_ _Seren red leather miniskirt -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344660/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344660/)

_*_ _Seren heels (red) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344710/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344710/)

_*Seren watch (silver and red instead of gold) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/316589048795958621/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/316589048795958621/)

_*Seren hair -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478066278/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478066278/)

_*Seren leather jacket -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344728/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477344728/)

_*Seren purse -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477310587/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477310587/)


	13. The Doctor Dances

** The Doctor Dances **

“Mummy. Mum-my.” The patients were almost within touching distance. “Mummy.”

“Go to your room.” The Doctor said in a stern voice, making the patients stand still and cock their heads to the side as if in confusion. “Go to your room.” The two behind him exchanged looks and adopted stern expressions as well. Seeing that it was working, the Doctor adopted a disappointed frown on his face as he said in a loud, stern voice, “I mean it, I’m very, very angry with you.” He looked around at all the patients as he spoke. “I am very, very cross. Go-to-your-room!” he punctuated his order with a hand pointed to the side the way a disappointed parent would to their child when sending them to their room. The patients hung their heads in shame and shuffled away slowly, back to their beds where they laid back down. The Time Lord gave a sigh of relief. “I’m really glad that worked.” He remarked to Seren. “Those would’ve been _terrible_ last words.”

Jack gave a sigh of relief at the averted crises as Seren rolled her eyes at the Doctor’s words. Seren shoved the Doctor’s arm lightly as he gave her a sheepish grin. The con-man sat at the Ward Sister’s desk and put his feet on the table, crossing his ankles as he lounged in the chair. Seren crouched next to one of the beds and looked at the patient occupying it as the Doctor stayed silent, leaning against the wall.

“These gas-masks,” Seren said with a frown, pointing with her still gloved hand. “They’re not made of standard material, they’re fused to the skin without any burn marks.” She looked up at Jack. “It’s made out of their own flesh and bone, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Jack replied quietly, lounging back in his chair.

“How was your con supposed to work?” The Doctor asked Jack with a small frown.

“Simple enough, really.” Jack replied. “Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front… oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con.”

“Yeah, perfect.” The Doctor muttered quietly, glaring at him as Seren walked around the ward.

“The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners.” Jack commented. “Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for Volcano Day.” He chuckled, but it died away when no-one else showed any amusement. “Getting a hint of disapproval.”

“Take a look around the room, Jack.” Seren said, holding back her desire to snap at him. She removed her gloves and balled them up in the proper manner, tucking them into her purse to dispose of when they get back to the TARDIS. The last thing she wanted to do was leave 21st Century items around a 1940’s hospital. “This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did.”

“It was a burnt out medical transporter. It was empty.” Jack snapped, holding to his belief that the transporter had been empty.

“Seren.” The Doctor called, giving jack a dark look before turning and walking out of the ward.

“Please tell me we’re leaving.” Seren pleaded hopefully as she followed him, only half-believing that they were doing exactly that.

“Sorry, no. we’re going upstairs.” The Doctor replied.

“I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn’t land on anything living.” Jack called to their retreating backs as he stood up. “I harmed no-one! I don’t know what’s happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it.”

“I’ll tell you what’s happening.” The Doctor said, reaching the door and turning to face the con-man. “You forgot to set your alarm clock. It’s Volcano Day.”

A siren sounded, making them all glance up.

“What’s that?” Seren asked.

“The all clear.” Jack replied.

“I wish.” The Doctor muttered as he walked out of the ward, followed a moment later by Seren and another moment later by Jack.

By the time Seren and Jack got to the end of the corridor, the Doctor was nowhere in sight.

“Mr. Spock?” Jack called as they ran past a staircase.

“Doctor?” Seren asked.

The Doctor peeked over the stair-rail, on the next flight up.

“Have you got a blaster?” The Time Lord asked, making the pair stumble to a stop and run back to the staircase.

“Sure!” Jack replied with a smile as he and Seren ran up the stairs to see the man standing outside a secured metal door.

“The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt.” The Doctor explained. “This is where they were taken.” He gestured to the metal door.

“What happened?” Seren asked as she and the Doctor stepped back slightly, grinning at Seren.

“Let’s find out.” The Doctor replied before turning to Jack, the grin fading. “Get it open.”

“What’s wrong with the sonic screwdriver?” Seren asked in a whisper as Jack took out his blaster and aimed it at the lock.

“Nothing.” The Doctor replied as Jack disintegrated the lock in a square pattern and the door opened.

“Sonic Blaster, 51st Century.” The Doctor commented as he walked to the door that Jack held open. “Weapons Factories of Villengard?”

“You’ve been to the factories?” Jack asked, surprise on his face.

“Once.” The Doctor replied, turning in the doorway to look at the con-man and take the blaster.

“Well, they’re gone now, destroyed.” Jack informed them as the Doctor looked at the blaster. “The main reactor went critical. Vaporised the lot.”

“Like I said. Once.” The Doctor said with a smile. “There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good.”

He grinned at Jack and went inside the room as Seren walked behind him, glancing at the blast pattern on the door.

“Nice blast pattern.” She said with a smirk.

“Digital.” Jack said with a shrug.

“Squareness gun?”

“Yeah.”

“I like it.” She gave him a smirk as he chuckled and followed her inside.

The Doctor turned on the lights and they looked around the room. It had several filing cabinets, electronic equipment and a very big mess. The observation window was broken, as if something had gotten out.

“What do you think?” The Doctor asked the two as they looked around at the mess.

 “Something got out of here.” Jack commented.

 “Yeah. And?” the Doctor prompted.

“Something powerful. Angry.” Jack replied.

“Powerful and angry.” The Doctor repeated.

Seren and Jack entered the isolation room while the Doctor stayed in the observation booth and looked at the recorder on the table.

Inside the room, there were child’s crayon drawings scattered all across the floor and pinned to the walls as well as a Steiff teddy bear.

“A child?” Jack asked with a frown before adding thoughtfully, “I suppose this explains ‘mummy’.”

“The child from the roof.” Seren gasped in shock, her eyes widening. “But how can a child do all of this?” she gestured to the mess that littered the two rooms.

In the observation room, the Doctor turned on the recorder.

_“Do you know where you are?”_   the pair turned to the broken glass when they heard Dr. Constantine’s voice and saw the Doctor looking at the recorder.

_“Are you my mummy?”_   a child asked in response.

_“Are you aware of what’s around you? Can you… see?”_   Dr. Constantine asked on the recording as the Doctor looked at them.

_“Are you my mummy?”_   the child asked as the three of them looked at the recording with mirrored frowns on their faces.

_“What do you want? Do you know…?”_   Dr. Constantine began to ask gently, only to be cut off by the child.

_“I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my_ _mummy? Mummy? Mummy?”_

“Doctor, I’ve heard this voice before.” Seren said, pointing to the recording as she looked at the man standing across from her in the observation room.

“Me, too.” The Doctor said.

_“Mummy?”_

“He’s always asking ‘ _are you my mummy?_ ’ It’s like he doesn’t know.” Seren said with a frown. Her voice wavered slightly, she couldn’t imagine not knowing her family, her mother. How could anyone do this to a sweet innocent child?

“ _Mummy?_ ”

“Why doesn’t he know?” Seren asked, holding back the tears that filled her amethyst eyes.

_“Are you there, mummy?”_ the child asked. “ _Mummy?”_

The Doctor came into the room and gently squeezed Seren’s arm in comfort. She covered his hand with her own, looking up at him with a watery smile and brush away the few tears that escaped her long lashes and trekked down her cheeks. He let go of her arm and began pacing as well, walking around the room along the walls with a deep frown.

“ _Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?_ ”

“Doctor?” Seren asked, watching him as he made a third circuit around the room.

“Can you sense it?” he asked, a frown on his face.

“Sense what?” Jack asked with a frown.

“Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?”

Seren and Jack looked at each other, exchanging confused looks.

“Feel what?” they asked in unison.

_“Mummy?”_

“Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?” the Doctor asked side-tracked as he glanced at them.

“When he’s stressed, he likes to insult species.” Seren explained to Jack, who nodded.

“Seren, I’m thinking!” The Doctor admonished her as he resumed his circuit around the room.

“He cuts himself shaving.” Seren continued, the only sign that she acknowledged him was the slightly lowering of her voice as her tone became slightly teasing. “He does half-an-hour on life-forms he’s cleverer than.”

"There are these children.” The Doctor said suddenly, turning to the two of them and verbally forming a possible theory. “Living rough around the bomb sites. They come out during the air-raids looking for food.”

_“Mummy, please?”_

“Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed.” He continued, the recording now only background noise for the travelers.

“It was a med-ship, it was harmless.” Jack reminded them.

“Yes, you keep saying harmless.” The Doctor said to him before turning to both of them as he continued. “Suppose one of them was affected, altered?”

“Altered how?” Seren asked as the tape ran out.

_“I’m here!”_ the child said.

“It’s afraid. It’s terribly afraid and powerful.” The Doctor said with wide eyes. “It doesn't know it yet, but it will do.” He chuckled almost hysterically. “It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room.”

“Doctor?” Seren asked with a slight whimper, a frightened expression on her face.

“ _I’m here. Can’t you see me?"_

“What is that noise?” Seren asked as the tape let out a constant clicking sound that it had been since it ran out.

“End of the tape.” He replied as he lost his grin and looked seriously at them. “It ran out about 30 seconds ago.”

“ _I’m here now! Can’t you see me?"_

“I sent it to its room.” He reminded them. “ _This_ is its room.”

Seren’s eyes widened as the Doctor whirled around to look through the broken window. She bit back a frightened scream as she caught sight of the child watching them. The Doctor reached out and took her hand, engulfing it entirely in hos own larger one.

_“Are you my mummy?”_ the child asked. He cocked his head to the side as he gazed at Seren, the only woman in the room. _“Mummy?”_

“Doctor?” Serena sked quietly, looking up at the larger man.

“Okay, on my signal make for the door.” Jack told them as he slowly edged his way behind the Doctor and Seren to stand by the Time Lord’s shoulder.

_“Mummy?”_ the child asked as Jack aimed his blaster at him, only for it to be a banana instead.

“Now!” Jack yelled before realizing his weapon was actually a banana. He looked at it in confusion as the Doctor pulled Jack’s blaster from his belt and made a square hole in the wall.

“Go now!” the Doctor yelled as Jack ushered Seren through the hole. “Don’t drop the banana!”

“Why not?!” Jack exclaimed as he jumped through the hole as well.

“Good source of Potassium!” The Doctor yelled as he jumped through the hole behind the con-artist.

They landed in the corridor outside of the room, quickly getting to their feet as the child followed them.

“Give me that!” Jack yelled as he took the blaster from the Doctor and aimed it at the wall, repairing the hole and stopping the child – saying ‘Mummy. I want my mummy’ - from following them. Seeing the wall repaired, Jack let out a sigh of relief as he turned to the other two time-travelers. “Digital rewind.” He chuckled as Seren let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the window. He turned to the Doctor and tossed the banana to alien as he said, “Nice switch.”

“It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate.” The Doctor said, holding the banana up.

“There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard? And you did that?” Jack asked him incredulously.

“Bananas are good.” He replied with a grin.

The wall in front of them began to crack, making Seren jump.

“Time to go!” She yelled as they turned and ran, the Doctor taking hold of her hand.

They ran through a door that was few steps away from them and down a corridor only to come to a stop as the patients marched towards them from the other direction.

_“Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”_

They turned and ran back the way they came, down the corridor and through the door, only to come to a stop once again as more patients blocked their path from the other direction. They ran back down the corridor and stopped in front of the breaking door as the patients blocked their way from all sides.

“It’s keeping us here till it can get at us.” The Doctor said.

“Really? I would never have noticed!” Seren said sarcastically, clutching her purse strap tightly.

“It’s controlling them?” Jack asked in disbelief.

“It _is_ them.” The Doctor replied. “It is every living thing in this hospital.”

“Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Star-Flower, you got anything?” Jack asked, taking his blaster and aiming it down one corridor as the patients slowly marched towards them.

“A pair of Bo-Staffs.” She replied, taking them out from her purse and holding them up.

“Impressive.” He said, looking at her over his shoulder with a grin. He turned back to the approaching patients with his blaster pointed at them as he called over his shoulder, “Doc, what about you?”

“I’ve got a sonic…” The Doctor said as he took his screwdriver out of his pocket and looked at it. “Oh, never mind.” He said as he turned around to face the approaching patients down the other end of the corridor, while Seren extended her Bo-Staffs and held them out in front of her.

“What?” Jack yelled.

“It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that.” The Doctor yelled back.

“Disruptor? Canon? What?” Jack asked

“It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonicked up!” The Doctor cried frantically.

“A sonic what?” Jack snapped.

“Screwdriver!” the Doctor snapped, making Jack whirl around to face him in disbelief as the Time Lord held up the lightly buzzing screwdriver.

Before Jack could respond, the child broke through the wall. The child climbed through the hole and Seren retracted her Bo-Staffs, tucked them up her jacket sleeves and grabbed Jack’s hands, pointing the blaster at the floor beneath their feet.

“Going down!” the beautiful Chosen One yelled as a large square of the floor beneath them disappeared, sending them hurtling to the floor below, where they landed in a heap on the ground, Seren on top of the Doctor as he cushioned her fall. Jack rolled to his knees and used the blaster to repair the hole in the ceiling.

Seren and the Doctor looked at each other, Seren blushing when she saw that their faces were inches apart.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, moving back so that she was no longer on top of him.

“Could’ve used a warning.” He told her as he stood up. He held a hand out to her.

“Oh, the gratitude.” She snarked in response, taking the hand he held out to her and pulling herself up. She took her staffs out from her sleeves and tucked them back into her purse, making them stick out from beneath the flap for easy access.

“Who has a sonic screwdriver?” Jack asked, making the Doctor turn to look at him.

“I do.” The Doctor replied defensively.

“Lights. We need lights.” Seren muttered as she took in the complete darkness of the room.

She began looking around the room, ignoring the Doctor and Jack as they continued their verbal sparing/ posturing match.

“Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ‘Ooh, this could be a little more sonic’?” Jack asked, slightly mockingly.

As she searched, Seren had to bite back a smile, remembering when she said almost the same thing to the man when she had first seen the screwdriver.

“What, you’ve never been bored?” the Doctor asked, taking a step closer to the charming Time Agent.

“There’s got to be a switch here somewhere.” Seren muttered, running her hands over the walls and feeling for any switches.

“Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?” the Doctor continued asking the Time Agent, holding up the screwdriver proudly.

“Found it.” Seren said happily as she found the light switch and flicked it on.

Immediately, the room was bathed in artificial light. Unfortunately, the sudden change caused the patients to sit up in their beds.

“Mummy. Mummy.” They said, startling the time-travelling group.

“Door.” Jack said as the Doctor grabbed Seren’s wrist and pulled her towards him.

The two joined Jack at the door as he tried firing his blaster at it.

The patients got out of the beds and began slowly advancing on them. Jack tried firing his blaster again and when it didn’t work, he wacked it angrily against his palm.

“Damn it!” he muttered.

“Mummy.” The patients said.

“It’s the special features. They really drain the battery.” Jack explained as the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to open the door.

“The battery?” Seren repeated incredulously as the Doctor opened the door and urged them inside. “That is incredibly lame. You know that, right?”

The Doctor closed the door behind them and began locking it once more as Seren turned the lights on.

“I was going to send for another one, someone had to go and blow up the factory.” Jack said as he hopped up onto a table that was beneath a window and looked out.

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Seren said with a slight laugh as Jack hopped off the table. “First day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates.”

“Okay, that door should hold it for a bit.” The Doctor said, stepping away from the door.

“The door?” Jack asked as the Time Lord passed him. “The _wall_ didn’t even stop it!”

“It’s got to find us first.” Seren pointed out optimistically.

“Come on, we’re not done yet!” The Doctor added cheerfully as he hopped up onto the table Jack had been on seconds earlier. “Assets! Assets!”

“Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch, you could put up some shelves.” Jack replied sarcastically.

“Window.” The Doctor said.

“Barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories.” Jack replied as he sat down on a wheelchair.

“And no other exits.” Seren added, looking around the room.

“Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?” Jack commented sarcastically as the Doctor turned around, still on the table.

“So, where'd you pick this one up, then?” The Doctor asked Seren in a rude tone, completely frustrated with the con-man.

“Doctor.” Seren said with a sigh, shooting him a warning look.

“She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance.” Jack replied with a chuckle, shooting Seren a mega-watt smile.

“I still prefer zip-lining, but a barrage balloon is good if you’re in a pinch.” Seren chirped with a smile.

“Okay. One, we've got to get out of here.” The Doctor said, turning their attention back to him. “Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?”

“Yeah. Jack just disappeared.” Seren said faintly, pointing to the now empty wheelchair.

The Doctor whirled around and looked at the wheelchair, and sure enough it was empty, the con-man that had just been sitting there gone. The Doctor jumped off the table and sat in a chair as Seren looked around the tiny storeroom.

“Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?” Seren asked wonderingly. Even though she didn’t respond to his flirting and wasn’t interested in him, she wasn’t blind and had noticed that he was incredibly handsome.

“I’m making an effort not to be insulted.” The Doctor said, looking at Seren as she leaned against his chair.

“I mean, men.” Seren said, trying to be reassuring but failing.

“Okay, thanks. That really helped.” He said sarcastically.

Before Seren could say anything else, he radio crackled to life.

_“Star-Flower? Doctor?”_  They heard Jack’s voice through the radio. _“Can you hear me? I’m back on my ship.”_   Seren straightened her posture as the Doctor stood up, going to the radio and turning it over as Jack continued to speak _. “Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you.”_   The Doctor found a wire, and tugging on it, he found that the end was frayed. The radio shouldn’t be working. _“It's security-keyed to my molecular structure.”_

“How are you speaking to us?” the Doctor asked.

_“Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grill.”_   Jack replied.

“Now there’s a coincidence.” The Doctor said, looking at the frayed wire. Seren raised an eyebrow at the Doctor.

_“What is?”_

“The Child can Om-Com, too.” The Doctor replied. Seren raised her other eyebrow to meet the first.

“He can?” She asked in surprise.

“Anything with a speaker grill.” The Doctor replied in confirmation. “Even the TARDIS phone.”

“You mean he can phone us?” Seren asked incredulously.

_“And I can hear you.”_ Hearing the child’s voice, they looked at the radio as he continued in a sing-song voice. _“Coming to find you. Coming to find you.”_

_“Doctor, can you hear that?”_   Jack asked.

“Loud and clear.” The Doctor replied.

_“I’ll try to block out the signal. Least I can do.”_   Jack told them.

_“Coming to find you, mummy.”_   The child said.

_“Remember this one, Star-Flower_?” Jack asked as Moonlight Serenade played through the radio.

“Our song.” Seren explained and the Doctor nodded, smiling as he wrapped the frayed wire around his finger.

Seren noticed that the smile wasn’t one that reached his eyes, rather one that was forced. She sighed, wondering what caused the change in the Time Lord as she brushed a few strands of hair from her face.

The Doctor turned away from his beautiful Companion and crossed the small room, hopping up onto the table with his screwdriver in hand. He heard Seren move around the small room behind him before settling on the wheelchair, turning herself in slow circles as she hummed softly along to the strains of Moonlight Serenade playing through the radio. He wondered what it was about Jack that seemed to draw Seren to him, if she cared about him and if that was the reason she trusted him.

“What are you doing?” Seren asked after making another slow turn in the wheelchair before stopping and facing his back, finally getting tired of just watching him work in silence. He was never silent when working, always talking and explaining about what he was doing, involving her in the process.

“Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars.” He replied shortly, focusing on what he was doing, the buzzing sonic screwdriver pointed at the concrete right next to the barred window.

“You don’t think he’s coming back.” She stated quietly, looking at his back.

“Wouldn’t bet my life.” The Doctor replied, not turning around.

“Why don’t you trust him?” Seren asked in frustrated confusion.

“Why do you?”

“He saved my life!” Seren replied. “I fell from the barrage balloon over what was left of Westminster. I could feel the flames of the explosions getting hotter as I dropped.” She sighed, rubbing her legs as she remembered the feeling of the heat and the flames. “I trust him because he’s like you. Except with dating and dancing.” The Doctor glanced at her before looking back at the wall, shaking his head. “What?”

“You just assume I’m…” he said, trailing off.

“What?” Seren asked, slightly taunting as a smirk crossed her face.

“You just assume that I don't… dance.” The Doctor said in a slightly vulnerable tone, pausing for a moment before he said ‘dance’.

“Are you telling me that you do… dance?” Seren asked, her smirk becoming a smile as the Doctor loosened up slightly.

“900 years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced.” The Doctor replied.

“You?!” Seren exclaimed teasingly, the smile becoming a grin as she looked at his back.

“Problem?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“And the Universe doesn’t implode or anything, if you… danced?” Seren asked, giggling as he gave an exaggerated eye-roll.

“Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast.” The Doctor said off-handedly.

With the grin still firmly etched on her face, Seren stood up and raised the volume on the radio as Moonlight Serenade still played. She moved the wheelchair back slightly to leave some room in the middle. The Doctor looked around in confusion, completely wrong-footed as Seren walked slowly back to him, unknowingly with a flirtatious sway to her curved hips. His eyes widened ever so slightly at the beautiful woman approaching him and he turned back to the wall, resuming his task with a determined expression.

“You’ve got moves?” Seren said, raising her hand to him. “Show me your moves.”

He looked back at her with an expression akin to a deer caught in the headlights.

“Seren, I’m trying to resonate concrete.” He said weakly, trying to make an excuse.

“Jack will be back. He'll get us out.” Seren said reassuringly, not lowering her hand. “So come on. The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances.”

He snapped off the sonic screwdriver and tucked it into his jacket pocket, hopping off the table and walking towards Seren. He looked at her with an unexplainable expression on his face as he took her hands. He held them open, looking at the palms.

“Barrage balloon?” he asked.

“What?” Seren asked, taken aback by the sudden question and the intensity of the gaze he was looking at her with.

“You were hanging from a barrage balloon? Without any gloves?” he elaborated, turning her hands over and inspecting the smooth surfaces.

“Yeah.” She replied, nodding. He looked at her as she explained what had happened, “Just as you went inside the nightclub, I noticed the child. I climbed what I _thought_ was a secure rope but turned out to be a barrage balloon. Thousands of feet above London, in the middle of a German air-raid, wearing a miniskirt with a Union Jack all over my chest.”

“I've traveled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly.” The Doctor told her before going back to inspecting her hands.

“Is this you dancing?” Seren asked. “Because you’re terrible at it. I have notes if you want them.”

“Hanging from a rope, thousands of feet above London.” He said, showing her the smooth hands as he said, “No cuts, no bruises, no bandages from your med-kit. Not even your legs were you felt the heat of the flames as you fell.”

“Well, my legs are because I wasn’t close enough for the flames to actually touch me and Captain Jack fixed my hands.” She replied, examining her hands. “Although, with the self-healing ability I gained after a made my Choice, my hands would have healed by now. The bandages would have just kept them from being infected.”

She didn’t notice the Doctor raising his eyebrow when Seren called Jack ‘Captain’.

“Oh, we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?” The Doctor asked snarkily.

“His name is Jack and he _is_ a Captain.” Seren replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

“He's not really a Captain, Seren.” The Doctor said, smiling in an almost self-satisfied manner.

“You know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy.” Seren said to him. He half-nodded, not denying it. She smiled up at him radiantly, as he took her hands and wrapped one arm around her waist. They began to sway slightly along with the music. “You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them.”

“If he ever was a Captain, he’s been defrocked.” The Doctor told her as they subconsciously moved closer, standing intimately close to each other.

“Really?” Seren asked with a smile. “Shame.”

“Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock.” They heard Jack’s voice and jumped apart, completely startled by the sudden sound. Seren looked around and saw that they were on Jack’s spaceship. “Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet.” Jack said as he stood up from the Captain’s chair. “Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security.”

“You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols?” The Doctor asked in a slightly moody tone. “Maybe you should remember whose ship it is.”

“Oh, I do.” Jack breathed with a dreamy smirk. “She was gorgeous. Like I told her -” Seren rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Be back in 5 minutes.” Jack ducked under the console and out of sight.

“This is a Chula ship.” The Doctor commented, looking around.

“And the wires are still a mess and still dangerously low.” Seren muttered as she ducked a mess of hanging wires as she moved back to sit on the bunk.

“Yeah, just like that medical transporter.” Jack replied, not hearing Seren’s comment about the mess. He stuck his head out from beneath the console as he looked at them. “Only this one _is_ dangerous.”

The Doctor snapped his fingers and the golden glow of the nanogenes as they surrounded his hands.

“They’re the ones who healed my hands.” Seren said, gesturing to the nanogenes and leaning toward him slightly. “Nanogenes.”

“Sub-atomic robots.” The Doctor confirmed, lowering his hand so that Seren could see from where she was sitting on the bunk. “There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws.” He flicked his wrist and sent the nanogenes away and leaned against a pillar, turning to Jack. “Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk.”

“As soon as I get the nav-com back online.” Jack said, moving to sit back in the chair. “Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were…” he gestured between the two of them. “…doing.”

He raised his eyebrow suggestively, a wide smirk on his face.

“We were talking about dancing.” The Doctor replied defensively, not liking the smirk that the con-man was looking at him with.

“It didn’t _look_ like talking.” Jack said.

“It didn’t _feel_ like dancing.” Seren added, leaning back against the hull with her legs stretched out in front of her.

The Doctor looked at Seren and pouted, moving to sit on the bunk next to her.

“Can I turn my mobile on?” Seren asked Jack, leaning forward and looking at him. “Or will it interfere with the instruments?”

“For now, you can.” Jack replied, fiddling with several buttons and wires. “But remember to turn it off before we move.”

Seren nodded and pulled her mobile out of her purse, leaning back against the Doctor.

“I want to call Siwan, see how she’s doing.” Seren said to the Doctor.

She saw him look at her and thought that he was curious about why she wanted her mobile on. She didn’t realize that he was just watching her and taking in her beauty and innocence. The beauty and innocence she was completely oblivious to.

“Tell them I said ‘hi’.” He said, putting his arm around her so that they were sitting comfortably.

She nodded and dialled Siwan’s mobile.

_“Jones.”_ A Welsh accented voice answered on the other end.

“Siwan? It’s Seren.” Seren said with a bright smile.

“ _Seren? Oh_ Duw _. It’s so good to hear your voice.”_   Siwan exclaimed. Seren winced when she heard a crash in the background.

“What’s going on?” Seren asked with a frown.

_“Duncan and Adam are sparring. And Amanda’s encouraging them.”_   Siwan replied. Seren winced when she heard another crash. _“Give me a second Seren.”_

Before Seren could reply, she heard Siwan yelling at Adam and Duncan. She winced and held the phone away from her ear as the loud voice sounded through the mobile and echoed through the spaceship.

“Who’s Siwan yelling at?” the Doctor asked, recognizing the voice. “And _why’s_ she yelling?”

“Adam and Duncan are sparring.” Seren replied with a wince, taking off her jacket and keeping it in her lap. “And if the crashes are anything to go by, then they’re not in the dojo nor are they outside.”

“Ah.” The Doctor said with a slight wince, nodding. If Siwan’s temper was anything like Seren’s, or even Jackie’s, then the two men were in for it, big time.

_“Okay, I’m back.”_ Siwan said, once again cheerful and happy. _“The boys and Amanda are outside, drawing a crowd by the looks of it.”_

“Okay.” Seren said slowly. “How are you?”

_“I’m good.”_ Siwan replied. _“I miss you.”_

“I miss you guys too. How are Aunt Jackie and Rose?”

_“They’re good. Missing you.”_

“I miss them too.” Seren replied, smiling wistfully.

_“Where are you right now?”_ Siwan asked. _“Or rather,_ when _?”_

“London, 1941, World War 2.” Seren replied.

_“Did you see a Germen air-raid?”_

“Oh, yeah. I sure did.” Seren replied laughing. “Anyway, how’s things with you and Adam?”

_“They’re good.”_ Siwan replied with a dreamy tone. _“Really good.”_

“He still running away from danger?”

_“Oh, yeah.”_ Siwan replied with a laugh.

Seren laughed as well, Adam was known to run away from danger, but he was always there to protect Siwan when _she_ was the one in danger. It was something about him that had endeared him to Seren, going against his desire to run to protect her sister from harm.

Jack caught her eye and silently motioned to her to wrap up the call. She nodded in understanding.

“Listen, I have to go. My mobile’s interfering with the instruments. I love you.” She said into the mobile.

_“I love you. Be safe.”_ Siwan replied, her worry echoing in her voice.

“I will. As much as possible.” Seren promised, wanting to reassure her beloved sister but at the same time be realistic. “Bye.”

“ _Bye.”_

With that, they ended the call and Seren turned off her mobile.

“If you used to be a Time Agent, why are you trying to con them?” Seren asked Jack curiously a few seconds later after putting her mobile back in her purse. She moved forward on the bunk so that her legs were hanging over the edge and she could see Jack as she spoke to him.

“If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money.” Jack said, sitting in the Captain’s chair and pressing different buttons and switches on the console.

“Then for what?” Seren asked. “Someone you love?”

“No. Not for someone I love.” Jack replied with a depreciating smile. “Actually, I woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back.”

“They stole your memories?” Seren repeated in dismay, her voice filled with worry.

“Two years of my life.” Jack said nodding. “No idea what I did. Your friend over there doesn't trust me, and for all I know… he's right not to.” he spoke with a resigned tone, as if he had come to terms with not being trusted because of what he may or may not have done. There was a slight beeping sound and he looked at the console, calling out in a cheerful voice, “Okay, we're good to go. Crash site?”

The Doctor nodded and stood up, moving to stand behind Jack as he piloted them to the crash site. Seren stood as well and put her jacket back on, coming to stand beside the Doctor, on Jack’s other side. Within a few minutes, he activated the camouflage and parked the ship. The trio got out and made their way through Limehouse Green rail-station, coming to a stop at the barbed wire that surrounded the bomb site near the rail-station.

“There it is.” Jack said as they peaked through the wire, looking at the guards that were on duty. There was one that was pacing up and down in front of the guard house, while the other was standing at parade rest in the doorway. “Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important.”

Seren glanced at Jack, the way he said the guards name seemed as though he knew the guard quite well.

“We’ve got to get past him.” The Doctor said quietly, resting his arms on a sealed barrel.

“Why do I get the feeling I’m not his type?” Seren asked Jack curiously.

“Because you’re not.” He replied, shrugging. “I’ve got to know him pretty well since I’ve been in town. I’ll distract him.”

Seren and the Doctor nodded and Jack walked away, turning back just before reaching the wire and calling with a smirk, “Don’t wait up.”

“How did you know?” the Doctor asked her quietly as they watched Jack cross the wire and make his way towards the bomb site, slowly and carefully.

“I noticed the way Jack said the guard’s name.” Seren replied. “It was with more than just camaraderie and respect for a fellow officer. It was spoken with the tone of someone who had gotten to know another person as more than just a comrade-in-arms.” She looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“He’s from the 51st Century.” The Doctor stated, looking at her with an impressed look on her face.

She didn’t notice as she had already turned to watch Jack’s progress across the grounds.

“What does that mean?”

“He’s a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing.” The Doctor replied with a slight chuckle. “So many species, so little time.”

Seren laughed lightly, shaking her head. The two turned back to see Jack climbing down an unused train and jumping on to the tracks.

He walked towards his friend, watching as the guard paced back and forth restlessly.

“Hey, tiger.” Jack said with a wide grin, coming up behind the guard. “How’s it hanging?”

Algy turned and looked at Jack, cocking his head to the side with a confused expression on his face.

“Mummy?” he asked.

“Algy, old sport, it's me.” Jack said, the grin dimming slightly.

“Mummy?” Algy repeated.

“It’s me, Jack.” Jack replied, the grin fading completely.

“Jack?” Algy asked, cocking his head to the side. “Are you my mummy?”

Algy began to cough, as if something was forcing itself up his throat. The coughing turned to retching as Algy fell to his knees. Jack could only watch in horror as his friend’s face slowly became a gas-mask.

Seren and the Doctor exchanged looks and ran forward.

“Stay back!” the Doctor yelled to the approaching guards.

Unfortunately, the warning was lost with the distance between them. However, Jack saw the guards approaching and held his hand out to stop them from coming closer.

“You men, stay away!” he ordered and the men stopped in their tracks.

Seren and the Doctor ran up to Jack and the prone guard.

“The effect’s becoming airborne.” The Doctor said, looking at the still form in front of them. “Accelerating.”

“And is anything keeping _us_ safe?” Seren asked with worry as the air-raid siren sounded once again.

“No. Nothing.” The Doctor replied, shaking his head.

“Ah, here they come again.” Jack said, looking up at the night sky as he registered the sound of the air-raid siren.

“Oh that’s just what we need.” Seren muttered in irritation. She frowned as she remembered something Jack had told her earlier. She whipped around to look at him, asking with wide eyes, “Didn’t you say that a bomb was going to fall on your parked piece of space junk? As in _here_?”

“Never mind about that.” The Doctor said as Jack nodded to Seren. “If the contaminant’s airborne, there’s hours left.”

“Till what?” Jack asked, looking at the Time Lord.

“Till nothing, forever.” The Doctor replied, looking at the con-man. “For the entire human race.”

“Can anyone else hear singing?” Seren asked, a frown on her face as she cocked her head to the side.

“Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops.” A young voice sang sweetly. “When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.”

“It sounds like it’s coming from that direction.” Seren said, pointing towards the site headquarters – basically a shed.

“When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. Down will come baby, cradle and all.”

They three looked at each other and quickly raced to the shed. The Doctor opened the door and poked his head in, gesturing to the girl inside to keep singing.

“Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops. When the wind blows the cradle will rock.”

He quietly snuck inside, taking his screwdriver out. Jack and Seren stood just inside the door to see a young woman handcuffed to the table. She kept singing as the Doctor bent over and freed her from the cuffs with the screwdriver.

Jack led them, the young woman included, to the actual bomb site. He flicked a switch, turning the large fluorescent lamps on and lighting the area with bright artificial light.

Seren and the young woman stood back slightly as the Doctor and Jack removed the tarpaulin covering the mauve-colored Chula medical transporter.

“You see? Just an ambulance.” Jack said once the tarpaulin was completely removed.

“That’s an ambulance?” the young woman asked Seren in a confused whisper.

“It’s hard to explain.” Seren said gently, taking the young woman’s hand and squeezing it gently. “It’s from another world.”

The young woman looked at Seren with a raised eyebrow, disbelief written all over her face. Jack reached over and looked at the access code pad.

“They’ve been trying to get in.” he commented, seeing the results of the soldiers’ failed attempts.

“Of course they have.” The Doctor replied as Jack began entering a series of numbers into the pad. “They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?”

Seren walked up to the med-ship, standing opposite the two men as the young woman stayed where she was.

“The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it.” Jack explained, entering the last of the code.

There was a bang and a shower of sparks from the keypad. Seren, Jack and the Doctor jumped back as the sparks went up in front of their faces, the young woman catching Seren as she stumbled slightly. An alarm began sounding from the ship as a red light flashed from the keypad.

 “Didn’t happen last time.” Jack growled when the Doctor gave the con-man a pointed look.

“It hadn’t crashed last time.” The Doctor reminded him. “They’re the emergency protocols.” Jack climbed onto the med-ship, straddling it with one leg on either side of the cylindrical panels.

“Doctor, what is that?” Seren asked, cautiously going up to the med-ship and pointing at the flashing red light on the control panel. Before the Doctor could reply, they noticed the gates and the doors being battered against. “Doctor!”

“Captain, secure those gates!” The Doctor yelled.

“Why?”

“Just do it!” the Doctor yelled over his shoulder. Jack nodded and jumped off the ship as the Time Lord turned to the young woman, “Nancy, how’d you get in here?”

“I cut the wire.” Nancy replied.

“Show Seren.” The Doctor said, tossing the Chosen One his screwdriver. “Setting 2428D.”

“What does it do?” Seren asked frantically.

“Reattaches barbed wire. Go!” The Doctor replied as he climbed onto the med-ship, taking Jack’s previous position.

Seren nodded and the two women turned, running to the fence. Jack slammed the gates shut just as Nancy and Seren reached the fence.

“Over here.” Nancy said, pointing to a gap in the fence that was cordoned off with the barbed wire.

Seren set the screwdriver to the correct setting and aimed it at the wire while Nancy held the severed ends as close together as she possibly could. The screwdriver buzzed softly as the two ends fused together before moving to the severed line above it.

“Who are you?” Nancy asked curiously as Seren worked on fusing the second line together. “Who are any of you?”

“Honestly, you would have a hard time believing me if I told you.” Seren replied, not looking away from the task in front of her.

“You just told me that was an ambulance from another world.” Nancy pointed out as the wire fused together and they moved to the next one. “There are people running around with gas mask heads calling for their mummies, and the sky's full of Germans dropping bombs on me.” She paused for a moment, looking at the strangely clad Welshwoman in front of her. “Tell me, do you think there's anything left I couldn't believe?”

“Good point.” Seren said and looked at the young woman for a long moment. The young woman, no older than late-teens and early twenties, could no longer be called a child with what she had been through since the War began, and the responsibility she had taken on regarding the homeless children of London. “We’re time travelers. We came from the future.”

“Mad, you are.” Nancy muttered, shaking her head.

“Seriously. We have a time travel machine and everything.” Seren said.

“It’s not that.” Nancy said quietly, looking at the barbed wire they were working on for a moment before looking back at the Welshwoman. “All right, you've got a time travel machine. I believe you. Believe anything, me.” She looked up at the sky, towards the sound of the bombs dropping in the distance. With a hopeless expression on her face, she asked sadly, “But what future?”

Seren followed her gaze and looked at the sky as well. She looked back at Nancy.

“Nancy, this isn’t the end.” Seren said reassuringly, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder. “I know it looks that way, but believe me, it isn’t the end.”

“How can you know?” Nancy asked, turning back to look at Seren. “ _Look_ at it.”

“Listen to me.” Seren said gently and firmly. “My god-sister was born in this city. I was born in Cardiff. I’m from Britain, in about 50 years or so.”

“From here?” Nancy asked disbelievingly.

“From Cardiff. From _your_ future.” Seren said, nodding with a small smile on her face.

“But…” Nancy started, shaking her head. “But you're not…”

“Not what?” Seren asked gently.

“German.” Nancy said quietly.

“Nancy, the German’s don’t win the war.” Seren said reassuringly. “I can’t tell you much more than that, but they don’t win.”

“They don’t win?” Nancy asked, hope on her face. “Who does?”

“I can’t tell you, but hold onto hope.” Seren replied. “You can’t tell anyone what you learned here, but I promise you, the German’s don’t win the war.”

Nancy smiled widely as they fused the last line of barbed wire.

“Okay, done.” Seren said, turning the screwdriver off and tucking it in her purse. “Come on!”

The two women ran back to the site, reaching the med-ship just as Jack got the hatch open.

“It’s empty.” Jack said, stepping back and gesturing to the empty cylinder. “Look at it.”

“What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter?” the Doctor asked with his arms crossed over his chest. “Bandages? Cough drops? Seren?”

“I don’t…” Seren started to say, her brows furrowed in confusion before she stopped. She replayed what had happened with her injuries earlier that night, on Jack's spaceship that was an actual Chula warship, her hands being healed down to the hypodermis layer. The confusion cleared as she exclaimed, “Nanogenes!”

“It wasn't empty, Captain.” The Doctor told Jack, paled as he started to realize that he was wrong. “There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species.”

“Oh, God.” Jack groaned, looking shaken and his face ashen.

“Getting it now, are we?” the Doctor asked him. Jack looked to the ground in shame. “When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gas-mask.”

“And they brought the child back to life.” Seren said softly.

“What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene.” The Doctor commented, shrugging lightly. “One problem, though. These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship.” Jack looked up at the Doctor as the three listened intently. “This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and _nothing_ in the world can stop it!”

By the time the Doctor finished talking, his voice was raised almost to a shout. Jack had gotten progressively paler and shaken as the explanation progressed, and by the time it ended, he looked absolutely sick with guilt.

“I didn’t know.” He said defiantly, but the guilt at what he had caused was clear across his face.

The Doctor pinned him a glare that could freeze fire, staring at the con-man for several seconds, before turning to the med-ship. He began examining it, taking the screwdriver that Seren silently handed back to him. She watched silently as he worked, not knowing what to say. Nancy turned and looked off into the distance, staring beyond the fence.

“Seren?” Nancy called, scared.

It was the fear in the voice rather than the call itself that drew Seren’s attention. She turned and followed Nancy’s gaze as she ran up the younger woman.

Seren swore colourfully in Welsh. The gas-mask patients had arrived, chanting, ‘Mummy’. They stumbled over the rail tracks, heading towards the small group of four around the Chula med-ship. She ran back to the transporter and looked at the flashing light on the access panel.

“The transporter is calling them here, isn’t it?” Seren asked the Doctor quietly.

“It thinks it’s under attack.” The Doctor said, nodding and not looking away from his task. “It’s calling up the troops.”

“Which is standard protocol for any vessel.” Seren said. “So, why would it be different if the vessel just happens to be from another planet?” she muttered to herself as she looked back at the approaching patients before turning back to the Doctor. “But most of them aren’t soldiers.”

“They are now.” The Doctor said. “This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you.”

“And that’s why the Child is so strong.” Seren commented in understanding. “Why it essentially has the powers of a God.”

“It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes.” The Doctor said, standing up and turning to look at the advancing patients. “All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them.”

The patients reached the barbed wire and surrounded them. The barbed wire between the patients and the four people standing by the medical transporter.

“Why don’t they attack?” Jack asked, the four of them looking at the patients nervously. Surely the fence wouldn’t do anything to stop them, not when a wall didn’t stop the Child.

“Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander.” The Doctor replied.

“The Child?” Jack asked quietly.

“Jamie.” Nancy said softly, looking at the Captain.

“What?” Jack asked, looking at the young woman.

“Not the child. Jamie.” Nancy said.

“How long until the bomb falls?” Seren asked.

“Any second.” Jack replied.

“What's the matter, Captain? A bit close to the volcano for you?” The Doctor asked mockingly.

“He’s just a little boy.” Nancy whispered softly.

“I know.” Seren said quietly, taking the younger woman’s hand in her own and squeezing it gently.

“He's just a little boy who wants his mummy.”

“I know.” Seren repeated softly. “There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his Mam. And this little boy can.”

Tears welled in Nancy’s eyes as she fought to keep them at bay. Seren put her arms around her, pulling her into a hug as the Doctor turned to them.

“It’s my fault.” Nancy sobbed into Seren’s shoulder, her voice breaking slightly.

“No.” The Doctor told her firmly, shaking his head.

“It is. It’s all my fault.” Nancy insisted, sobbing.

Seren’s eyes widened as she realized what Nancy wasn’t saying.

“How can it be your -” the Doctor started to say gently before cutting himself off. He looked up at the fence that held back the gas-mask patients.

_“Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy.”_ The chanted in unison.

He whipped his head back around to look at Nancy, recognition dawning on his face as he took in the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing young woman.

“Nancy, what age are you?” he asked her. Nancy looked up from Seren’s shoulder and stepped away from the Welshwoman, turning to look at the Time Lord. “20? 21? Older than you look, yes?”

A bomb dropped nearby, the explosion’s aftershocks reaching them.

“Doctor, that bomb.” Jack said. “We’ve got seconds.”

“Jack, you can teleport us out.” Seren said, turning tot eh con-man when the Doctor didn’t respond.

“Not you guys.’ He said regretfully. “The nav-com’s back online.”

“And last time it took you ten minutes to override the protocols.” Seren said with a sigh, nodding.

“So it’s Volcano Day.” The Doctor said without looking away from Nancy, who was struggling to get her sobs under control. “Do what you’ve got to do.”

“Jack?” Seren asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He looked at her apologetically, shame written all over his face as he held up his remote and teleported himself away from the bomb site. Seren bit her lip and turned to look at the Doctor.

“How old were you 5 years ago?” the Doctor asked her softly. “15? 16? Old enough to give birth anyway.” Nancy gave up trying to control her sobs as a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her cheeks. She looked up at the Doctor for a moment before looking away shamefully. “He's not your brother, is he?” Nancy shook her head, sniffing. “A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him.”

Nancy nodded tearfully as the gates swung open, revealing the Child, Jamie, standing there. Behind him were all the people that had been changed by the Chula nanogenes.

_“Are you my mummy?”_ Jamie asked.

“He’s going to keep asking Nancy.” Seren said softly, causing the younger woman to look at her. “He’s never going to stop.”

_“Mummy?”_   Jamie asked, walking forward, coming towards them.

“Tell him.” Seren said, putting her hands on the taller woman’s shoulders. The gas-masked patients followed Jamie, coming closer towards them. “Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust us… and tell him.”

Nancy looked at the two of them tearfully, sniffing.

_“Are you my mummy?”_ Jamie asked, approaching them. Seren turned Nancy around, and gently pushed her forward in Jamie’s direction. _“Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?”_

“Yes.” Nancy whispered, nodding. Her voice became stronger as she said, “Yes, I _am_ your mummy.”

_“Mummy?”_   Jamie asked as a bomb dropped a short distance away.

“I’m here.” Nancy said tearfully.

_“Are you my mummy?"_  Jamie asked again.

“I’m here.” Nancy said, kneeling in front of him.

_“Are you my mummy?”_

“Yes.” She whispered.

“ _Are you my mummy?”_

“He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left.” The Doctor whispered to Seren.

Seren glanced up at him before looking back at Nancy and Jamie.

“Wait for it.” She whispered in response, taking the Doctor’s hand in her own and holding tightly. “There’s enough left.”

“I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy.” Nancy said and put her arms around Jamie, drawing the little boy into a hug. “I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry.”

As soon as Jamie put his arms around Nancy to return he hug, a cloud of golden nanogenes surrounded them.

“I told you, Doctor.” Seren said with a smile as the nanogenes swirled around the mother-son pair, making them glow with a magnificent golden light. “All he needed was a mother’s hug.”

“Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes.” The Doctor pleaded. “Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out.”

The nanogenes swirled around the pair, buzzing as they recognized the parent DNA.

“They’re recognizing the same DNA!” Seren exclaimed gleefully, letting go of the Doctor’s hand and clapping happily.

Nancy fell back, away from Jamie as the nanogenes swirled away from them. Seren and the Doctor ran over to them. Seren helped Nancy back to her feet as the Doctor stared at Jamie.

“Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one.” The Doctor prayed softly as he reached out to Jamie with a shaky hand and removed the boy’s gas mask.

Nancy let out a relieved laugh as a perfectly ordinary and very sweet blue-eyed little boy was revealed. Seren stared in delighted wonder as the Doctor laughed ecstatically. He reached out and lifted the boy up and into the air, swinging him around. The boy let out a delighted laugh.

“Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music - you're going to love it.” The Doctor exclaimed, hugging Jamie.

“What happened?” Nancy asked, confused despite her joy.

“The nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change _you_ because _you_ changed them! Ha-ha!” the Doctor replied delightedly, gently putting the boy down in front of Nancy.

“Mother knows best!” Seren commented, a radiant smile on her face.

“Oh, Jamie.” Nancy exclaimed, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her son. She brought the little boy into her arms, holding him tightly.

Seren looked away from the touching scene when she heard the sound of a bomb dropping nearby.

“Doctor, the bomb.” She said worriedly.

“Taken care of it.” The Doctor replied, looking at her.

“How?” Seren asked in confusion.

“Psychology.” He said with a manic grin, gesturing to Nancy and Jamie in front of him.

Seren looked up as the hurtled towards them, getting caught in a blue stream of light just moments before impacting them. Inside the light stream, Jack straddled the bomb with one leg on either side of it as he held onto the protruding panels.

“Doctor!” he called sown to them.

“Good lad!” The Doctor exclaimed with a grin.

“The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long.” Jack told them loudly, shaking his head in emphasis.

“Change of plan. Don't need the bomb.” The Doctor told him. “Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?”

“Star-Flower?” Jack called down to her, nodding to the Doctor in understanding.

“Yes?” Seren asked, looking up into the light stream.

“Goodbye.” He said before teleporting away. He reappeared a second later, calling down to the beautiful Welshwoman, “By the way, love the tank top. And the skirt.”

Seren smiled as he winked at her and disappeared once more. The ship sucked in the light stream and flew off as Seren watched it go. Once it was out of sight, she turned to look at the Doctor as he walked a few paces away, looking intently at his hands.

“What are you doing?” Seren asked curiously as he summoned some of the nanogenes to himself. They swirled around his hands, glowing a bright gold.

“Software patch.” He replied, looking at his glowing hands. “Gonna email the upgrade.” He looked at her, a wide smile on his face. “You want moves, Seren? I’ll give you moves.” He turned towards the patients who were still waiting by the rail tracks, throwing the nanogenes towards them. The patients fell to the ground as the nanogenes surrounded them, repairing what had been done. As he watched the nanogenes work, he cheered ecstatically, “Everybody lives, Seren. Just this once. Everybody lives!” Seren looked on in amazement as the patients slowly stood up, the gas masks nowhere in sight. The Doctor bounded forward to an elderly man wearing a doctor’s coat. “Doctor Constantine, who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor! World doesn't wanna get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit.” Doctor Constantine looked confused as the Doctor continued talking, gesturing to the people around him. “These are your patients. All better, now!”

“Yes, yes, so it seems.” Doctor Constantine said faintly, looking around at his surroundings. “They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?”

“Yeah, well, you know, cutbacks.” The Doctor replied with a slight shrug and Constantine nodded, a disbelieving expression on his face. The Doctor’s expression became slightly more serious as he leaned in to the elderly doctor and spoke quietly, “Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?”

Constantine could only stare as the Doctor ran off towards Seren. An elderly patient hobbled up to the old man, calling out to him, turning his attention to her.

“Right, you lot!” the Doctor called out, climbing onto the med-ship as he drew the former gas-masked patients’ attentions towards him as he continued, “Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the Welfare State!” Constantine smiled as he and the patients walked away. The Doctor climbed off the med-ship and said quietly to Seren, “Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?”

“You’re usually the first in line.” Seren told him, causing him to grin manically at her.

She smiled back at him, though it didn’t entirely reach her eyes. Something was nagging her, the way Jack had said good bye, the sadness that seemed to seep from him. There was also something else, a faint memory of a promise she made long ago and a long time from now.

The Doctor set the self-destruct and walked away from the bomb. He held his arm out to her and she grabbed hold of it with both hands, holding onto him tightly. They walked back to the TARDIS, the Doctor talking happily the entire way as Seren listened quietly.

“The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!” he said, grinning happily as they entered the TARDIS and let go of each other, the Doctor walking up to the console.

Seren took off her jacket and purse, sitting up on the coral by the stairs as he turned around and grinned at her.

“Look at you, grinning away like your Father Christmas.” Seren said softly, trying to be as ecstatic as he was but failing. The feeling that she was supposed to do something, something important, nagged at her.

_“When you meet him again, he will be in his true form and he doesn’t make the best of impressions on either of you.”_   Unbidden, the memory of what Pharaoh Djet had said on Platform One filtered through her mind; when she had asked why the Face of Boe wanted her to promise to save him when the time came.

“Who says I’m not, set-of-gymnastic-leotards-when-you-were-8?” he asked, looking at her.

Seren jerked her head up, startled out of her memory, and looked at him in shock.

“What?!”

“And everybody lives, Seren! Everybody lives!” he exclaimed happily, a wide smile on his face as he spread his arms. “I need more days like this.” He walked around the console, pinging one of the switches.

Seren could feel Idris hum questioningly at the back of her mind, the sentient ship wondering what was bothering her sweet Star, what promise she had made.

Seren bit her lip uncertainly and stood up from the coral.

“Doctor?” she asked, steeling her resolve.

“Go on, ask me anything.” He said happily as he worked around the console. “I’m on _fire_.”

“What about Jack?” Seren asked, causing the Doctor to look at her, his smile fading. “Why'd he say goodbye the way he did?” He continued working, flicking switches on the console as he stayed silent. She walked forwards, coming to a stop next to him. “Doctor, why did Jack say good-bye?” He didn’t reply, instead staring intently at the console. She reached out and physically turned him around to look at her. “Doctor? Why?”

He looked into her large orbs, shining with worry and fear, not for herself but for a man she had only just met.

“The bomb is going to explode on his ship.” He said finally, his voice quiet. “With him on it.”

Seren sucked in a shocked breath, gasping as she stumbled back slightly. Her large eyes filled with tears as she stared at him. Unable to look into those expressive purple eyes, the Doctor looked away, a pang shooting through his hearts.

“We have to save him.” She said, brushing away the tears that fell down her cheeks and looking at him with fierce determination.

“Why?” the Doctor asked, looking at her and frowning. “Why should I? After everything he’s done?”

“What do you mean ’why’?” Seren asked, taken aback. “What about how he helped save us from a bomb that was about to kill us?!”

“Or is it because you have feelings for him?” he asked back, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her.

“Huh?” Seren asked, staring at him completely confused. “What are you talking about? I don’t have feelings for Jack!” he looked at her disbelievingly. “I don’t! And it has nothing to do with that.” She sighed and said softly, “If everyone lives, that includes Jack.”

The Doctor’s glare faded and he stared at her in astonishment as she looked up at him with determined amethyst orbs. He turned back to the console and flipped a few switches and turned on the radio.

Seren looked at him in confusion as the strains of ‘Moonlight Serenade’ began to play.

“Doctor?” Seren asked softly, her confusion echoing in her voice.

He turned around and moved closer to her, taking her hands in his.

“Teach me how to dance?” he asked, looking at her with a gentle smile, a look in his eyes that she recognized but was afraid of naming.

“Jack?” she asked softly.

He nodded to the direction of the doors and, still in his arms, she looked. A smile began to grow across her Cupid Bow lips, lighting up her eyes. There, looking completely confused and startled, was Jack seated in the Captain’s chair of his ship.

“Well, hurry up!” Seren yelled to him as she and the Doctor moved in sync with each other. She looked back at the Time Lord as they moved around the console room in a waltz to ‘Moonlight Serenade’. “Okay, and right, and turn…” the Doctor spun her around but ended up twisting her arm behind her back. He carefully let go of her and she straightened her arm, rubbing her shoulder slightly. “Okay, let’s try that again, but this time please don’t twist my arm.”

“I’m sure I used to know this stuff.” He said, looking at her sheepishly.

“It’s okay, you’ll get it in time.” She said reassuringly, smiling up at him.

He turned to Jack, who was looking around Idris with wonder and amazement written all over his face.

“Close the door, will you?” he told the dazed ex-con-man. “Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught.”

Jack nodded numbly and shut the door, leaning against them as the Doctor started up the engines. Seren smiled radiantly up at Jack and leaned against the coral pillar she had been sitting on a short while earlier.

“Welcome to the TARDIS.” Seren said to the shell-shocked Captain.

“Much bigger on the inside…” Jack breathed, trailing off in awe.

“You’d better be.” The Doctor muttered.

“What he’s trying, and failing, to say is…” Seren said as she walked over to Jack. “You may cut in.”

Jack and Seren grinned at each other as he took her hand.

“Seren! I’ve just remembered!” the Doctor exclaimed, making Seren turn around to look at him startled.

“What?” she asked.

The Doctor pressed a button on the console and ‘In The Mood’ played through the speakers. Several lights flashed along the walls all around them as the Doctor moved towards Seren in time to the music, clicking his fingers.

“I can dance!” he said excitedly. “I can dance!”

“I can see that.” Seren said with a laugh. “But I was thinking that maybe Jack might like this dance.” She motioned to the Captain, whose hand she was still holding.

“I’m sure he would, Seren. I’m absolutely certain.” The Doctor said, nodding his head as he continued moving in time to the music and clinking his fingers. “But who with?”

Seren sniggered a little as Jack cleared his throat. Seren walked up to the Doctor and took his hands, the Time Lord leading her in time to the music. Seren let out a delighted laugh as the Doctor spun her around perfectly, leading them around the console. The Doctor spun her around again before swinging her around in the opposite direction.

Jack crossed his arms and smiled, watching as the two danced around the console, perfectly in sync with one another, perfect partners.

Suddenly, a wide grin on his face, the Doctor dipped Seren backwards and she let out a delighted whoop. She pulled herself up and leaned against his shoulder, giggling happily.


	14. Boom Town

** Boom Town **

Seren was in the swimming pool, doing her workout laps. She was wearing a light purple/ dark purple one shoulder swimsuit with a cut-out waist* with her long hair wrapped in a purple swim cap and goggles covering her large eyes. She cut through the water with the same grace and elegance she had when walking on land.

The Doctor walked into the library where the pool was located that day. For several moments, he watched her as she swam, her long toned legs maintaining a set speed as her graceful arms dipped in and out of the water propelling her forwards. He crouched at the edge of the pool and waited until she reached the edge of the expansive pool.

“What’s up?” she asked, lowering her goggles so that they hung around her neck as she looked up at his blurry figure.

“We’re headed to Earth, Cardiff to be specific. You wanna drive?” the Doctor asked her, a smile on his face.

“Sure.” She said excitedly, lifting herself up and sitting on the side, with her legs still in the water. She was completely oblivious to the effect she had on him; he was adamantly trying not to look down at her body, concentrating his gaze on her face. “Give me few minutes to dry off.” He nodded as she grabbed a towel and dabbed her face before taking of her swim cap and shaking out her hair. She put her glasses, that had been resting on her towel, and put them on. “That's better." she smiled up at him. "We need to refuel, yeah?”

“Yeah.” He replied, a slight blush on his face as his eyes inadvertently roamed down her hourglass figure, the athletic and graceful form that was as lethal as it was beautiful.

“Great.” She said with a smile as she wrapped the towel around her body. “Let me rinse off and change, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He nodded and left, the blush still on his cheeks. Once he was a few corridors away, he leaned against the wall and let out a breath.

“Why am I acting like this?” he asked himself quietly. “What is it about her that makes me behave like a hormonal teenager?”

Idris hummed her amusement at the back of his mind and he glared up at the ceiling.

“You are not helping.” He growled to her.

“Doctor? Who are you talking to?” Seren asked, coming out of the library, a towel now wrapped around her head while she had a bath robe covering her entire body. She also had her glasses on. She evidently took a quick shower, more excited about driving the TARDIS and going home to enjoy her usual long shower.

“The TARDIS.” He replied, pointing to the ceiling.

“Idris, stop picking on him.” Seren said, looking at the ceiling with a frown. “That’s not very nice.” She felt the TARDIS giggle and Seren rolled her eyes. She turned to the Time Lord, saying, “I’m going to change. See you shortly.”

She turned and walked down the corridor, turning right and going into her room. The Doctor went back to the console room where Jack was.

“She coming?” the ex-con asked, sitting on the jump seat.

“Yeah, she’s just getting changed.” He replied, nodding and going to the console.

Sure enough, Seren appeared several minutes later wearing a black spaghetti strap tank top, slim fit leather-like jeans tucked into 6” high heeled lace-up ankle boots with a leather amethyst purple and black contrast blazer and black handbag* in her arms. Her glasses were perched on her face with her long hair wrapped in a towel to help it dry and to keep the damp locks from wetting her back.

“Jack, can you text Mickey, Siwan and Rose, please?” Seren asked, handing her sleek light purple Samsung Galaxy S9* mobile to the American as she put her jacket and purse on the jump seat next to him.

“Sure. What do you want me to tell them?” he asked, opening the messaging center on her mobile.

“That we’re going to be in Cardiff and ask if they want to meet us.” Seren replied walking over to the Doctor, who was standing by the console.

She stood beside the Time Lord as Idris gave the Welshwoman directions on how to pilot. The Doctor stepped back slightly, letting the Welshwoman take control. It never occurred to him that he had never let anyone pilot the TARDIS, never mind on their own.

“Rose and Mickey are asking where to meet us.” Jack said after several minutes of watching Seren as she piloted them. “There’s no response from Siwan though.”

“That’s normal.” Seren replied. “She’s either at work or in the middle of something. Tell Rose and Mickey to meet us on Roald Dahl Plass. I’m going to try and park by the water tower.”

Jack nodded and went back to the mobile, typing away on the ancient – at least to him – device, even though it was a top of the line gadget from 2018.

“Next stop, Cardiff!” Seren had her hand on the last switch that they would need to use, a wide grin crossing her face.

She flicked the switch and grabbed hold of the console, laughing energetically, as the TARDIS hurtled through the Time Vortex. The Doctor and Jack laughed as well, the former holding on to a coral pillar and the latter holding onto the back of the jump seat.

Landing in Cardiff in September, 2006 with the usual grinding and whirring, the pilot was sent to the ground while the remaining two managed to hold on, barely. Still laughing, Seren pulled herself up to her feet, the towel that had been covering her hair on the ground where it had fallen from the impact.

“It’ll take some time for them to get here, so we might as well get some maintenance done.” The Doctor commented, looking at the walls as he spoke. He moved to the console and flipped a series of switches, opening up the engines and letting the TARDIS soak up the Rift energy that permeated through the city.

“Good idea.” Seren replied. She turned to Jack, “Can you wait by the door, please?”

He nodded, putting her mobile on her purse and getting off the jump seat. He walked passed her, flicking a lock of her drying hair in her face as he went to the door. Seren pushed the lock out of her face and glared at him in response and he laughed.

“Love you, Star-Flower.” he called over his shoulder, settling on a coral with his arm around the pillar to keep himself from falling.

“Yeah, yeah.” Seren muttered, picking her towel up from the floor and hanging it over a coral to dry.

She pulled her hair brush out of her purse and began brushing through the almost dry hair. She worked for several minutes, parting and braiding her hair in an efficient and methodical manner.

“Okay, done.” She said finally, drawing the two males’ attention to her.

“Wow.” The Doctor breathed, looking at her.

She had pulled her long hair in to a stylish 3-strand French and 2-strand fish braid, coming to rest over her shoulder* and down to her hips. The overall appearance, the braid combined with the outfit, gave her an appearance that screamed ‘don’t mess with me’, with the glasses making her appear scholarly at the same time and the radiant smile making her seem approachable and kind.

“And you look adorable and dorky.” Seren said with a smile, looking up at him. “What are you doing?”

He had climbed up a ladder and was working on the wall, behind one of the panels, with his bag of tools on the top-most step of the ladder and a red flashing light strapped to his head.

“Just some maintenance.” He replied, looking down at her.

She nodded, moving to the jump seat and sat down. She tucked one leg under her thigh and let the other one swing freely as she angled herself to face Jack.

“Remember to be careful what you say to them.” She reminded him, putting her brush in her purse and picking up her mobile. “They’re just beginning to get used to the idea that aliens and time travel is real, let’s hold off on the moment about telling them that there are Chosen Ones and that Siwan and I are the Ones for our generation. They think that my Mark is just a tattoo that I had gotten in a fit of teenage rebellion, and we’re letting them believe that.”

She had told him some time earlier about being a Chosen One when he had inquired about her Mark on her lower back, as well as the aura he was adamant that she seemed to display – one of power and understanding of things both Seen and Unseen. She didn’t really believe what he said about her aura, but explained about the Mark.

“Fine.” Jack said, nodding as he lounged against the pillar behind him. Seren turned to her mobile. “I won’t tell them anything about how you’re keeping secrets from your family.”

“It may not be the best thing to do, but I am adamantly holding on the belief that what they don’t know can’t hurt them, much.” Seren said, not looking up from her mobile as she texted away with rapid fingers. “Aunt Jackie all but freaked out completely when she learned that aliens and time travel was real, the last thing I want to do is tell her that I am essentially immortal, and that there will come a time when Siwan will have to make her Choice.”

“Okay, okay.” Jack said, raising his hands in surrender.

“You know that you will have to tell them eventually.” The Doctor pointed out, glancing at her from across the console room. “They will eventually notice that you’re not aging. And there’s only so long that you can chalk it up to time traveling.”

“I know.” Seren said softly, sighing as she put her mobile down. “I’m just worried about how she’ll take it.”

Her mobile pinged and she looked at it, going back to rapidly texting.

“Who are you texting?” Jack asked curiously.

“Rhiannon.” Seren replied, not looking up. “I want to know if she can come meet us, or at least bring the kids by for a bit.” She let out a breath. “Unfortunately, she’s got a doctor’s appointment and David’s in school, but we can keep Mica with us if we want.” She looked up at the Doctor. “What do you think? You want to babysit a 1½-year-old for the duration of our stay?”

“Ah, what the heck. Might as well.” The Doctor said after a moment of deliberation. “Rhi or Johnny going to drop her off here or are we going to pick her up?”

“I'm going to see if Mickey and Rose can pick her up on their way here.” Seren replied, a wide smile on her face as she went back to her mobile. “If not, then we can go pick her up.”

“Okay.” The Doctor replied, going back to his maintenance work. They flinched slightly when sparks began flying from the panel.

“You better not be hurting Idris.” Seren said sternly, looking at the Time Lord with a mock frown on her dainty features.

“I am fine, Star.” She heard the TARDIS say. “But thank you for the concern.”

“What the hell?” Seren said startled and looking up at the ceiling.

“What is it, Star-Flower?”

“What happened?”

Jack and the Doctor said in unison, looking at her in concern.

“I just-. She just-.” Seren stammered, looking around wildly.

“What? What happened?” Jack and the Doctor asked in unison.

“Just after I told you not to hurt Idris,” Seren started, looking at the Doctor, her eyes wide. “She said ‘I’m fine Star. But thank you for the concern’. She spoke to me.”

The Doctor climbed down from the ladder and bounded over to the Welshwoman. He picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle madly.

“You are amazing, Seren! Absolutely amazing!” He said happily, a wide grin on his face.

“I know you told me that she could talk, but I didn’t think that she would speak to me.’ Seren admitted once the Doctor put her back on her feet and let her go.

“Why wouldn’t she?” Jack asked. “You are an extraordinary woman, Star-Flower.”

“I know.” Seren sassed, amazement still written on her face. Her mobile pinged and drew her attention. The Doctor went back to his maintenance work while Seren picked up her mobile and looked at the incoming text. “Okay, Mickey said he and Rose can pick Mica up on their way here.” She told them, reading the message. She turned to Jack, “Mica’s only a year old, so be careful what you say. It won’t be long before she starts saying coherent words, if she hasn’t already. She is at the age were she’s soaking up what is being said around her.”

Jack nodded in understanding and Seren turned back to her mobile, sitting back down on the jump seat in the same position as earlier, with one leg curled under her and the other swinging freely.

A knock on the door almost an hour later, drew their attention. Jack hopped off the coral and went to open the door.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked rudely to the person outside.

“What do you mean, who the hell am I?” Seren heard Mickey say. A wide smile crossed her face as she turned towards the door. “Who the hell are you?”

“Captain Jack Harkness.” Jack replied curtly. “Whatever you’re selling, we’re not buying.”

“Get out of my way!” Mickey snapped, pushing past Jack and entering the TARDIS, Mica in his arms with her diaper bag slung over his shoulder. The baby was wide awake and looking around at her surroundings.

“Don’t tell me.” Jack said snarkily, closing the door behind the new arrivals. “This must be Mickey.” His tone softened as he added, “And the gorgeous baby must be Mica.”

“Yea.” Seren replied with a smile, turning to look at her best friend and her niece.

“Here comes trouble!” The Doctor called down from the top of the ladder, turning to look at Mickey and Mica. “How’re you doing, Ricky boy?”

“It’s _Mickey_!” Mickey snapped, putting the multi-purpose diaper bag* on a coral pillar by the door without losing his hold on the curious baby.

“Don’t listen to him. He’s winding you up, like always.” Seren said with a smile, taking Mica from Mickey and giving her a tight hug, kissing her chubby rosy cheeks.

The little girl was wearing a black long sleeved sweater dress, a white long-sleeved sweater, white wool stockings with small black polka dots and white faux fur boots*. Her soft golden hair was parted on the side and held with a matching back and white clip, the lose curls reaching her shoulders. To ward off the Wales chill, she was wearing a white parka, the hood lined with white faux fur.

“You look fantastic, Seren.” Mickey said, taking a good look at his best-friend and liking the healthy and happy glow she was giving off.

Though he wasn’t a big fan of the Doctor, he couldn’t deny that the traveling was good for her – even if he would rather she stay on Earth were she was safe. She was truly beginning to move on from her parents’ murder, and for that reason alone he could push aside his dislike of the Time Lord that took his best friend away.

Seren handed Mica to Jack and hugged Mickey tightly, the Londoner lifting her up and twirling her around, drawing happy giggles from the beautiful Welshwoman.

“Aw, sweet, look at these two.” Jack said wistfully, taking off Mica’s parka and putting it on the jump seat next to Seren’s purse and jacket. He turned to the Doctor as he said, “How come I never get any of that?”

“Buy me a drink first.” The Doctor sassed. He looked at Jack, though he still fiddled with the panel he was working on.

“You’re such hard work.” Jack said with a whine.

“But worth it.” The Doctor said with a self-satisfied grin before turning back to his task.

Mica looked between the two men and babbled her input, making Jack smile. He gently tossed the baby in the air and caught her, causing her to giggle madly and look at him with her large ocean blue-grey eyes.

“Mickey, where’s Rose? And Siwan?” Seren asked, pulling away from her best-friend and noticing the distinct lack of the two other women.

“Rose is at that restaurant on the Bay, the one on the jetty that she likes so much. She said she was hungry and for us to hurry up. And Siwan couldn’t come. She has a huge assignment to work on, something about Marine Biology and Psychological.” Mickey replied. “She wanted to come, but knew you would be cross if she didn’t focus on her school work.”

“She’s right.” Seren said with a smile. “I’ll just text her to give me a call when she has a moment, or when she’s taking a study break.”

“And Jackie wanted me to give you this.” Mickey said, reaching into the diaper bag and withdrawing a small maroon booklet and handing it to her.

She looked at it for a moment before a grin spread across her face. Jackie sending her the passport meant that she was truly beginning to accept what her god-daughter was doing, no matter how much it frightened and worried her. She turned and brandished the passport at the Doctor, who was watching them as he worked.

“I can go anywhere now.” She said happily, turning around and going to her purse to safely put the passport away.

“I told you, you don’t _need_ a passport.” The Doctor said, shaking his head at her.

“Maybe not when we’re going to Platform One, Justicia or the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon.” Seren replied, turning around to look at him as she took a still giggling Mica from Jack. “But I’d rather be prepared if we end up in contemporary Brazil or something. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”

“I guess this means you’re staying? If you’re thinking long-term.” Mickey said softly, causing them to turn to him. He had a resigned look on his face and Seren smiled sadly. Not liking the sad look on his normally cheerful best-friend’s face, he gave a smile of his own, half-hearted though it was, and asked, “So, what are you doing in Cardiff? From the text, it sounded like babysitting Mica wasn’t planned.” He looked at Jack, who was leaning against the console and watching him. “And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash?” He looked back at Seren. “I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there…”

Oi!” the Doctor yelled, affronted.

“Look in the mirror!” Mickey snapped at him and Seren hid her grin in Mica’s hair as the Doctor shook his head and returned to his work. The baby was watching the by-play between the adults with wide eyes. Mickey glanced at Jack before turning back to Seren. “But this guy, I dunno, he’s kinda…” he trailed off, not sure how to phrase his sentence.

“Handsome?” Jack asked with a smirk, coming around the console and putting an arm around Seren, reaching out with the other to let Mica play with the weapon-calloused fingers.

“More like cheesy.” Mickey said deadpanned as Mica began squirming in Seren’s arms.

“Early 21st Century slang – is cheesy good or bad?” Jack asked Seren with a thoughtful frown.

“It’s bad.” Seren said with a gentle smile as she put the squirming baby on the ground and watched her.

“But bad means good, isn’t that right?” Jack asked, looking at the woman with expressive ocean blue eyes.

“Not in this case.” Seren replied, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly as he pouted. She ducked under his arm and went off after Mica who had begun to make her way across the room on shaky legs. “I can’t believe she’s walking!” She squealed happily. “I mean, I knew she was. Rhi had messaged me and sent me a video file of her first steps, but I can’t believe I’m seeing it.”

Mica toddled her way to the Doctor who had climbed down the ladder and crouched in front of the baby.

“Are you saying I’m not handsome?” he asked as he picked the baby up and stood, hugging her tightly in greeting.

They ignored him as Seren turned to Mickey, the Doctor beside her as they moved to re-join the two human men.

“We just stopped off to refuel." Seren began explaining. “Cardiff has a Rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions.”

“It was healed back 1869.” The Doctor added, holding Mica on his hip and letting her play with the flashlight strap that he removed from his head. She was fascinated by the red light that was still flashing, trying to put it in her mouth as the Doctor gently kept her from doing so.

“Thanks to a sweet girl named Gwyneth.” Seren continued as Mickey nodded along, slightly overwhelmed but happy at the excitement on Seren’s face. “There were these aliens called the Gelth that were using the Rift as a gateway.”

“But closing a Rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy.” Jack added, taking over the explanation as the Doctor and Seren came to a stop beside him. “The scar is harmless to the human race…”

“But perfect for the TARDIS.” The Doctor finished the sentence with a wide grin. “Just park her here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and…”

“Open up the engines, soak up the radiation.” Jack added with excitement.

“Like filling up with petrol and off we go!” Seren exclaimed happily.

“Into time!” Jack exclaimed as he and Seren high-fived.

“And space!” The three time travellers exclaimed in unison as the Doctor and Seren high-fived as well.

“My God, have you seen yourselves?” Mickey asked them in disbelief, staring at their happy grins. “You all think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

“Yeah!” the Doctor said with a grin, nodding.

“Yeah!” Seren said with a giggle.

 “Yep!” Jack said cheerfully, patting Mickey lightly on the cheek.

Mickey glared at Jack with a furious look on his face as the ex-con walked away. The Doctor looked at Mica who was trying to put the flashlight in her mouth again.

“No, Mica. No putting the light in your mouth.” He said as he gently pried it out of her hands. Mica looked at him with a pout, her wide eyes filling with tears.

“Rhi said she’s teething.” Seren told the Time Lord, seeing the worried look on his face when he caught sight of the pout. She went to the jump seat and picked up her mobile, her back towards Mickey, and quickly sent a text to Siwan asking her to call or message when she had the chance, just to catch up with each other – it may not have been very long for Seren, but for Siwan it had been a few months since the conversation connecting 1941 and 2006.

“Ah.” the Doctor said nodding, putting the light away and giving the baby his fingers. She wasted no time to grab hold and put the larger index finger in her mouth, sucking and biting furiously to try and relieve the ache in her gums.

“So, what say we go meet up with Rose before she storms down here?” Seren asked, putting her mobile away and catching sight of Mickey’s still furious expression.

“Sure.”

“Great.”

“Sounds good,” Mickey replied before turning to Seren. “Mica’s portable carry sling is in the bag if you want to use it. Rhi said that she’s trying to get Mica used to the carrier.”

Seren nodded her understanding as she put on her leather jacket. She held Mica’s coat out for the Doctor so he could gently coax Mica’s arms into the sleeves before turning her around in his arms for Seren to do up the zipper.

Mickey, who had been watching them, was taken aback slightly by the way they looked together, so content and perfect. Seren’s face glowing as she gently admonished the Doctor for pulling Mica away while she was in the middle of pulling up the zipper and the Doctor smiling gently at her in response.

“You see it too, don’t you?” Jack asked quietly, coming up beside Mickey with his coat on, pulling on his gloves.

“They look so right together.” He said softly, a pang shooting through his heart. “She’ll never willingly leave him, will she?”

As well as he knew that Seren would never willingly stop travelling with the Doctor, her happiness at Jackie sending the passport being a testament to that, there was a part of him that hoped she would be able to have a life on Earth, away from the danger that seemed to follow the TARDIS crew.

“No, she won’t.” Jack said softly, putting a gentle hand on the slightly shorter man’s shoulder. “I’ve only known them a short time, but they are always in sync with one another, looking at each other with such love in their eyes. The funny thing is, they’re both oblivious to it.”

“Seren’s always been like that.” Mickey said with a slight laugh. “Her and Siwan both. They can always tell when other people like each other, have crushes on each other, but they can never tell when it’s them on the receiving end. Nor can they see the effect they have on people.” Mickey smiled wryly, glancing up at the Captain before turning back to the touching scene in front of them, the Doctor was now quietly teasing Seren with Mica babbling away at the two of them. “As amusing as it is, it drives us all insane.”

The two moved apart when the Doctor and Seren turned to them, Jack picking up the diaper bag and slinging onto his shoulder.

“You ready to go?” Jack asked them.

“Yeah, let’s go.” The Doctor said as Seren held Mica in her arms. “The refuelling should take another 24 hours, which means we’ve got time to kill.”

 “Has she had her nap this morning?’ Seren asked Mickey as they walked out of the TARDIS one after another.

The Doctor put his arm around Seren’s waist as she held Mica played with the Welshwoman’s braid and babbled away incoherently. She was content; the love and attention she was getting from the four adults giving her a profound sense of safety and security.

“Yeah.” Mickey replied absently as he caught sight of an old woman staring at them. “That old lady’s staring.” He told them, gesturing towards the woman’s direction.

“Probably wondering what 4 people could do inside a small wooden box.” Jack said with a snigger, patting the Doctor’s free shoulder suggestively.

Seren and the Doctor sniggered as well, Jack dropping his hand from the Time Lord’s shoulder as he passed the diaper bag over. The Doctor took it and swung it onto his shoulder, holding the strap with one hand to keep it from slipping off.

“What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?” Mickey asked snarkily. Jack glared at him and made a ‘whatever’ sign with his fingers before stalking off. “Wait, the TARDIS -we can't just leave it.” He said as Seren and the Doctor turned to walk away as well. "Doesn't it get noticed?”

At Mickey’s question, Jack turned around with curiosity written on his face.

“Yeah, what’s with the police box? Why does it look like that?” he asked, gesturing to the TARDIS’ disguised form.

“Well, one, I like how Idris looks.” Seren said, looking up at the two men and gently pulling her braid away from Mica’s mouth. “Two, it’s called a Chameleon Circuit. Thanks.” She added to the Doctor, who had pulled out a grey soother and given it to Mica who immediately put it in her mouth. He nodded as she continued, “The TARDIS is meant to disguise herself wherever she lands. If for example, she landed in Ancient Rome, she would have taken on the form of a statue on a plinth or something similar.” She turned to the Time Lord standing next to her, his arm now around her shoulders. “Is that right, or did I mix it up somewhere?”

“That is exactly right, Seren.” The Doctor replied, squeezing her shoulders. He turned to the two men and continued the portion of the explanation that Seren wasn’t entirely aware of. “I first landed in the 1960’s and she disguised herself as a police box, and promptly got stuck.”

“So, she copied the real thing? There were actual police boxes?” Mickey asked curiously, unconsciously referring to the TARDIS as ‘she’ just as the rest of them were.

“Yeah, on street corners.” The Doctor replied, nodding. “Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell.”

“Why don’t you just fix the circuit?” Jack asked, leaning towards the Doctor to speak in an almost conspiratorial whisper.

“I like it.” The Doctor replied and turned to look at Seren curled under his arm. “Don’t you?”

“I absolutely love it.” She replied with a smile, patting the TARDIS’ panel with her free hand.

“But that’s what I meant!” Mickey exclaimed with a grin. “There’s no police boxes _anymore_ , so doesn’t it get noticed?”

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race.” The Doctor said, letting his arm drop from Seren’s shoulder as he slowly walked towards Mickey. “You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" he put his hands on Mickey's shoulders. Before Londoner had a chance to reply, the Doctor continued. "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!"

He put his arm around Seren’s shoulders again as they began walking away. Jack and Mickey joined them, the former beside Seren and Mica while the latter beside the Doctor.

“First we meet up with Rose and get something to eat, then we go exploring.” Seren said, looking up at him.

“Fine.” He said with a pout.

“So what’s the plan for exploring?” Jack asked.

“I don't know.” The Doctor admitted with a shrug. “Cardiff, early 21st Century and the wind's coming from the… East. Trust me. Safest place in the universe.”

“And you just jinxed us.” Seren muttered with a groan.

“Oh, come on Seren.” The Doctor said, squeezing her shoulders gently. “It’s Cardiff! Nothing exciting ever happens here!”

Seren rolled her eyes and didn’t get the chance to respond as Mica began fussing.

“What’s wrong? Why’s she fussing?” Jack and Mickey asked in unison, completely panicked.

“She’s hungry.” Seren said, laughing at their reaction.

“She’ll be fine once she gets some food into her.” The Doctor added taking out a bottle of water to keep the baby occupied until they reached the restaurant.

“Oh.” Mickey and Jack said in relief, still speaking in unison. The two glared at each other as the Doctor and Seren rolled their eyes.

They four quickened their pace and Seren led them toward the Bay and the restaurant where Rose was waiting for them.

They arrived at the restaurant within the next 10 minutes, just in time as Mica got tired of the bottle of water and began fussing once more.

“Table for 4?” the Hostess asked, looking at them. “With a baby seat?” she added, taking note of the baby in Seren’s arms.

Before Jack could reply, and presumably start flirting, the Doctor took charge.

“No to the table, were meeting a friend.” He said, smiling at the woman. “But yes to the baby seat.”

“Please.” Seren added, glaring at the Time Lord when he forgot the basic manners.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and took the bottle from Seren, putting it back in the diaper bag.

“Absolutely.” The Hostess said, a smile crossing her face as she watched the pair. “Can you see your friend?”

“Yeah. She’s the one standing and waving madly at us.” Mickey said, pointing to Rose, who was doing exactly what Mickey said she was – standing and waving madly at them.

Mica, tired of being denied her meal, made her displeasure known – loudly.

“Here, pass her.” The Doctor said, handing the diaper bag to Jack as he held his hands out to Seren. She passed the cranky baby over and he wasted no time to toss her up in the air. Seren bit back a scream of surprise when Mica stopped screaming and started giggling madly. “Okay, this is not gonna last long.” He told them, not looking away from the baby he was tossing up and catching.

“Follow me, please.” The Hostess said to them.

She had a gentle smile on her face as she took in the way the man was playing with the child and the woman was watching like a hawk. They made such and adorable couple, even if the man looked to be much older than the woman, and the baby was just too cute for words. The fact that the woman was wearing a leather jacket and leather-like jeans with high heels didn’t take away from the maternal way she was looking at the baby or the way her eyes were filled with love when looking at the man.

The Hostess led them to the table Rose was waiting at, wasting no time in throwing her arms around Seren in a tight hug. Seren laughed and hugged her god-sister back with the same amount of vigour.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes with the baby seat.” The Hostess told the Doctor who was watching the reunion with a gentle smile playing across his face. “Would you like anything for the baby?”

“Actually, I’m not sure what Seren wants to give her.” The Doctor replied, turning to look at the pretty brunette woman. “Can you ask again when you come with the seat?”

“Sure.” The Hostess replied with a smile and turned to walk away.

“Rose, this is Captain Jack Harkness.” Seren said, once they had pulled away from their hug. “Jack, this is my god-sister, Rose Tyler.”

“Hello.” Jack said with a slight purr in his tone as he took Rose’s hand and gently kissed the back of the smooth palm.

Seren and the Doctor looked at each other and rolled their eyes when they saw the way Rose practically swooned at Jack’s action.

“Stop it, Jack.” Seren and the Doctor said in unison.

“I was just saying ‘hello’!” he cried out defensively.

“For you, that’s flirting.” The Doctor said, turning back to Mica who was slowly beginning to lose interest in being tossed as she remembered her hunger. “Seren, we have food for her or are we going to be getting something for her?”

“We have food.” Seren replied, reaching out to take the diaper bag from Jack and begin rummaging through it. “We’ll need to get warm water though. For her formula.”

“’Kay.” The Doctor said. “The Hostess is getting a baby seat and we can tell her about the water.”

Seren nodded, taking out a bottle of baby food and putting it on the table as the Hostess returned, a waiter pushing a baby seat behind her.

“Here you are, sirs, madams.” The Hostess said with a smile as the waiter put the baby seat at the short end of the table. She smiled at them once more and walked away, returning to her spot at the front of the restaurant to greet the new customers.

The small group took their seats around the table, Seren and the Doctor across from each other on either side of Mica’s baby seat as the Time Lord buckled the squirming child in place. Mickey sat beside the Doctor while Rose and Jack sat beside Seren, the blonde in the middle.

They gave their orders to the waiter, Seren translating the Welsh into English for Mickey, as well as asking for the water needed for Mica’s milk to be brought first if possible. The waiter, seeing the baby’s large teary eyes, nodded in understanding and left.

While waiting for the waiter to return, Seren began feeding Mica, the baby not making any more fuss now that she was being fed.

“Huh. She’s not fussing anymore.” Jack commented, looking at the baby in disbelief. “A moment ago, you would’ve thought the world was ending.”

“Well, she’s being fed, which is exactly what she wanted.” The Doctor replied with a grin.

“Now, she won’t fuss like before until she’s ready for her nap in a few hours.” Seren added.

She threw a slightly confused look at the Doctor, absently wondering how he knew so much about childcare and child-rearing before assuming that he’d probably been exposed to kids, if not had a few, considering how old he was.

“Ay, kids are _a lot_ of work.” Jack said with a slight groan, sagging against his chair in exaggerated exhaustion. The action had them roaring with laughter, not heeding the amount of noise they were making. As it was, none of the other patrons seemed to mind, occasionally sending amused glances their way – not that the small group noticed.

“They’re kids, Jack. What did you expect?” Seren asked, grinning at him and feeding Mica another spoonful of her mixed fruits and vegetables.

“No idea, but I definitely did not expect the amount of work she is.” Jack admitted as the waiter returned with their food, including a thermos filled with hot water.

The ex-con gave a mega-watt grin to the waiter who blushed slightly at the attention the handsome Captain was giving him.

The Doctor and Seren rolled their eyes at each other, passing the plates of food around to the right person.

“Is there anything else you would like?” The waiter asked, looking around at them.

They exchanged looks and Seren turned to him, saying, “No thank you. We have everything.”

“Yes, ma’am. Enjoy.” The waiter said, inclining his head respectfully before turning and walking away to attend to another customer.

The group of five turned to their meal, Seren multi-tasking between feeding herself and Mica, the baby nearly finished with her meal. The Doctor paused long enough to pour water from the thermos into a shallow bowl to let it cool enough for Mica to be able to drink it.

Jack began regaling them with an exciting story in between bites of food.

“…I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks…” Jack continued his story after pausing to take a bite of his food. He spread his hands to demonstrate how big he was talking about.

“You’re lying through your teeth!” Seren exclaimed through her laughter, preparing Mica’s bottle while the baby laughed along with them – though she had no idea _why_ the adults were laughing, she was enjoying the happy and lively atmosphere.

“I'd have gone bonkers!” Rose exclaimed, shaking her head. “That's the word - bonkers!”

“I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean _tusks_! And it's woken, and it's not happy.” Jack continued through his laughter, the joyous sound echoed by the other four and one baby.

“How could you not know it was there?” the Doctor asked, his laughter slowing to chuckles.

“And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked…” Jack continued.

“Naked?” Rose repeated with a bright red blush covering her cheeks as she imagined the mental picture of the man beside her.

“And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me!” Jack said, a grin on his face as he wriggled slightly in his chair for a moment before carrying on with the story. “And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say -”

“I knew we should’ve turned left!” Mickey exclaimed delivering the punchline.

“That’s my line!” Jack exclaimed as the 5 of them roared with laughter. The sound of Mica’s bell-like laughter mingling with their own.

“I don't _believe_ you. I don't believe a word you say _ever_. That is so brilliant.” Rose gushed, looking at Jack as he laughed.

A newspaper caught the Doctor’s attention from the corner of his eye. The grin faded from his face as he stood up, the sudden move catching Seren’s attention – the others too caught up in the story to notice.

“Doctor?” Seren whispered as he passed her.

He didn’t reply, only patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“Did you ever get your clothes back?” Rose asked Jack.

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle. Didn't stop until I hit the space lanes. I was shaking! It was unbelievable. It freaked me out, and by the time I got 15 light years away I realized I'm like this.” Jack prattled on, him and his three audience completely oblivious to Seren and the Doctor. Mica looked around to see what had captured her beloved Aunt’s attention.

Seren watched as the Doctor walked over to an old man and abruptly pulled the newspaper out of the startled man’s hands. Seren shook her head in exasperation and stood up as well, quickly making her way over to the Doctor.

She gently took the paper out of his hands, a chastising expression on her face, as she looked at what had captured his attention.

“Oh, nuts.” She said, reading the front page headlines.

“And I was having such a good time.” The Doctor said, the troubled tone in his voice causing the three laughing humans to turn to him.

Seren held up the paper and showed them the headline – New Mayor, New Cardiff. It had a photograph of Margaret Blaine, though she had a hand in front of the camera objecting to the photographer taking her picture.

“And who was the one that said nothing exciting ever happens?” Seren asked him pointedly as she returned the newspaper to the old man. She apologized to him in Welsh, noticing the Welsh flag pin he had on his tie and assuming that he was a native.

_“You are a Welshwoman?”_   the old man asked in Welsh, looking at her with old eyes.

_“Yes, sir. I am.”_   Seren replied, also in Welsh, with a radiant and gentle smile on her face as she bent slightly to be at the seated man’s level.

_“What is your name?”_

_“Jones, Seren Jones.”_   Seren replied.

_“You wouldn’t happen to be related to the late Commander Ifan Llewellyn Jones, would you?”_   the man asked, looking at her closely. _“And his wife, Glenda Rhoswyn Jones?”_

_“They were my parents.”_   Seren replied, a slight frown on her face as she wondered how the man knew them.

Behind her, the Doctor packed up Mica’s diaper bag and bundled the baby once more in her coat.

_“I knew it. I knew I recognized your eyes.”_   He said, tears filling his eyes as he shakily got to his feet and Seren straightened up from her slight crouch. “ _The last time I saw you, you were 8 years old. Your mother brought you and your sister to the hospital where I had been admitted to after your father risked his life to save me.”_ A tear slipped down his weathered cheek. He reached a shaking hand up, gently cupping her rosy cheek, rubbing the high cheekbone with the pad of his weathered thumb. _“You and your sister came every day to visit us, always telling stories, singing and lifting our spirits.”_

Seren frowned, memories flashing past her mind’s eye as she remembered the time the man was talking about. It was during the Gulf War, her father and his battalion had returned and they had all been injured in some way. The first time they went to the hospital, her mother had told the three of them that their father was sick and needed his ‘songbirds’ to help him get better. Rhiannon - at 15-years-old and understood what had really happened - hadn’t been able to bear the sight of the soldiers’ injuries and visited only a few times, just enough to give their father the strength he needed to recover. Seren and Siwan on the other hand, had gone every day after school, even temporarily stopping their extracurricular activities to spend time with the soldiers. The two of them hadn’t really understood what had happened, having been too young to learn about the War that was being raged at the time, only knowing that their father and his comrades needed them to ‘hold on and not let go’.

_“I remember.”_   Seren said softly, looking up into the aged hazel eyes. _“Captain Griffiths?”_

_“Yes, dear child. It is me.”_   Griffiths replied, nodding. _“I am so sorry about your parents_.”

“ _Thank you.”_   Seren replied softly as he lowered his hand, the usual pang of irritation at the reminder absent as she took in his sincerity at the condolences.

“Seren, come on.” The Doctor said, coming to stand beside her, the diaper bag on his shoulder and Mica in his arms.

He had paid the bill before returning to get the woman who was in deep conversation with the elderly man, his bearings that of a military man. He silently wondered how they knew each other before realizing that she probably knew quite a few people, having grown up in Cardiff. He also realized that the man probably had known Seren’s father, if he was indeed military, considering that her father had worked for UNIT before his death.

“Yeah, coming.” She replied and turned to Griffiths, saying in Welsh, _“I have to go, Captain. It was nice to see you again.”_

_“You as well, little songbird.”_   He said with a smile.

Seren pouted slightly at being called ‘little’ and he laughed, the reaction being the same as when she was a child. She smiled and turned, taking her purse and Mica from the Doctor as he put his arm around her shoulder.

They joined Rose, Mickey and Jack at the entrance of the restaurant and made their way to City Hall to meet with the Lord Mayor of Cardiff.

Captain Griffiths watched the group cross the Bay from his vantage point inside the restaurant, the baby babbling away happily in Seren’s arms. His battle trained eyes, undiminished despite his advanced age, noticed the way the man seemed to subconsciously shield Seren and the baby from any perceived threat. Like everyone else that encountered the pair when they were together, he assumed that the two were together and silently prayed that the man could protect, love and cherish the priceless gem whose heart he held. He decided to speak with the man if they ever meet again, for no other reason than for the sake of Ifan and Glenda who were no longer with them.

The small group was silent, Mica being the only one providing any noise as she babbled away happily – Seren had put her in her baby carrier sling, attached to her front with the baby facing front as well and able to see her surroundings. They strode purposefully up the steps and into the building foyer before coming to a stop, looking around at their surroundings.

“According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit.” Jack said purposefully, removing his gloves and neck scarf as he spoke. “Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic 57/56 strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Rose and Star-Flower with Mica, you're Exit Three, Micky Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?”

As Jack spoke, the Doctor looked at him with an expression of mild surprise at the perceived impertinence and Seren looked at him with an expression of mild amusement. Rose had a frown on her face as she made the effort to understand what was going on while Mickey looked completely confused and Mica was just enjoying herself, babbling away happily to herself.

“Excuse me.” The Doctor said in a stern voice, making them snap around to look at him. “Who’s in charge?”

“Sorry.” Jack said apologetically, straightening his back and looking forward. “Awaiting your orders, sir.”

“Right. Here’s the plan.” The Doctor said, his voice deep with authority and looking at the rest of them, his glare fading. He paused for a moment and grinned manically. “Like he said. Nice plan.” He looked at Jack, beaming, as Seren smiled. “Anything else?”

“Present arms.” Jack ordered with a grin.

Each of them pulled out their mobiles, voicing once the devices were in hand.

“Ready.” The Doctor said.

“Ready.” Rose said.

“Ready. No Mica, no touching the mobile.” Seren quickly grabbed the toddler’s hand before she could take the mobile.

“Ready.” Jack said, as they all looked at Seren who shrugged at them helplessly, one hand holding Mica’s reaching arms away from the mobile. “Speed dial?” Jack continued.

In unison, they each pressed a button on their mobiles, a ‘beep’ sounding to let them know the command had been registered.

“Yup.” The Doctor chirped with a grin.

“Ready.” Rose said.

“Check.” Mickey said, nodding.

“Pretty much.” Seren said, having the command registered into her ‘emergency contact’ mode since she didn’t have speed dial.

“Where’d you get that mobile?” Rose asked, looking at the sleek device.

“Jack and the Doctor got it for me a few weeks ago.” Seren replied, glancing up at the younger blonde. “ _Someone”_ she mock-glared at Jack for a moment before turning back to Mickey and Rose, “tossed my previous mobile into the pool while I was doing my laps, and there isn’t enough dry rice in the Universe to repair chlorine water damage.”

“It was an accident!” Jack exclaimed defensively as the Doctor gave Rose the diaper bag with a wide grin on his face.

“Three times?” Seren asked him pointedly, looking up at the handsome captain. “You managed to _accidentally_ toss my mobile into the pool three times?”

“We got you another one, didn’t we?” Jack asked her with a whine, pouting slightly as he looked at her with a pitiful expression on his face.

“Yes you did.” Seren said, a smile crossing her face as she reached up and tweaked his nose. “With the same top-up feature as the previous one,” she turned to look at her gaping god-sister and best-friend, “making it possible for me to keep in contact with all of you.”

Rose and Mickey nodded numbly, their eyes drifting to the mobile. It was very different from anything they had seen on the market. Seren tucked the mobile into Mica’s carrier behind the baby’s back, making easy to reach when needed.

“See you in hell.” Jack told them, turning them back to their mission.

He grinned at them and turned, walking off to the right. Mickey headed off towards his designated exit while the Doctor turned to Seren.

“Be careful.” He said softly, taking her hand and squeezing it gently before letting go.

“You too.” She replied, looking up at him as he took Mica’s tiny hand and squeezed it gently.

He nodded, letting go of the baby’s hand and watched as Seren ad Rose turned away, heading towards their designated exit. He watched for several second until they were out of sight before turning and heading towards his designated exit – meeting Margaret face-to-face.

Seren and Rose walked in silence, Mica looking around in amazement and babbling away at the portraits that they passed. Seren took in the differences and the similarities of the building from the last time she had been there, a few months before her parents died.

“So what’s up with you and the Doctor?” Rose asked after a while. “And you and Jack.”

“What do you mean?” Seren asked, looking at the blonde beside her.

“Do you like Jack?” Rose asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow at the brunette Welshwoman. “Because I thought you were in love with the Doctor.”

“Of course I like Jack.” Seren said, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of the question. “He’s my friend, and he’s saved my life.”

“But do you like him as more than a friend?” Rose probed curiously.

“No, he’s my friend.” Seren said matter-of-factly. “Like Mickey, Andy, Rhys and the others.”

“So, you do love the Doctor.” Rose stated in conclusion as she walked.

Seren froze and stared at Rose’s back in shock. Was she in love with the Doctor? They held hands and hugged, he would put his arm around her and hold her close, like couples do. Whenever he was truly happy, it made her happy as well, whenever he was sad, she felt sad for him. Whenever he smiled at her, she felt as if she could fly and when he held her, she felt certain that no power in the Universe could hurt her. But that didn’t mean that she was in love with him, did it?

The blonde, oblivious to the thoughts racing through the older woman’s head, carried on down the corridor.

_“Slitheen heading North.”_   The Doctor’s voice coming through the mobile jolted Seren out of her musings.

“On our way.” Rose said into her mobile.

The two women grinned at each other and began running down the hallway. Mica’s squeals of joy at the sudden increase of speed echoing through the hallway as they ran.

_“Over and out.”_   Jack called in confirmation.

_“Oh, my God.”_   Mickey said faintly.

Seren and Rose turned around the corner and rushing past two secretaries that had their arms piled with paperwork. The papers and the files went flying.

“Oi!” one of the secretaries yelled at their retreating backs.

“Sorry!” Seren yelled over her shoulder. “We’re in a hurry!”

The two secretaries looked at each other and bent down to pick up their papers, muttering angrily to themselves about crazy people running around indoors.

Seren and Rose burst out of their designated exit and looked around for any sign of Margaret. Catching sight of her in the car park, they ran through the large iron gates towards her, Seren keeping one arm around the laughing baby while Rose had one hand on the diaper bag strap.

Margaret snarled when she caught sight of Seren running towards her with Rose. The Slitheen woman turned around to head in the other direction, only to see Jack coming towards her from that direction. She gasped in surprise and turned, running in the only available direction – across the front of the building.

“Margaret!” the Doctor called in a sing-song voice, climbing down the construction crew ladder as Margaret ran as fast as she could.

The Doctor hopped off the last few steps and began chasing after her.

“Who’s on Exit Four?!” Jack yelled as they crossed a set of iron gates on the other side of the car park.

“That was Mickey!” Seren yelled as they came to a stop in an alley beside the City Hall building.

Rose bent over, her hands on her knees as she panted for breath, the Doctor coming to a stop beside Seren. They watched as Margaret ran as fast as she could on her thick legs, the small group covering one end.

“Here I am!” Mickey cried, bursting out of a door on the side and coming to a stop beside them, bending over and catching his breath.

"Mickey, the Idiot." The Doctor muttered.

Mica babbled happily, clapping her hands.

“Oh, be fair. She’s not exactly going to out run us, is she?” Seren commented, gesturing to Margaret’s retreating back.

As if to prove Seren wrong, Margaret vanished a second later.

“I had to say it.” Seren groaned, face palming in exasperation.

“Oh, come on, she’s got a teleport!” Jack exclaimed, his voice taking on a whine as he added, “That’s cheating! Now we’re _never_ going to get her!”

“Oh I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Seren said, a bright smile crossing her face as she saw the Doctor remove his sonic screwdriver. “The Doctor is very good with teleports.”

And sure enough, the Doctor held up the screwdriver and clicked it once, a rather dopey grin on his face. Margaret reappeared, closer than before and running towards them with a self-satisfied smile on her face. The smile faded when she saw the group on front of her. She hurriedly changed direction and pressed her teleport, causing her to disappear once more. The Doctor clicked the screwdriver once more and she reappeared, again much closer than before. She glared at them as she turned around and began running in the other direction once again, pressing her teleport and disappearing.

The Doctor looked at Seren with a grin and clicked his screwdriver again as she held back her giggles. Mickey and Rose had identical grins on their faces as Jack looked on with surprise written all over his face.

Margaret reappeared, running directly towards them and coming to a stop right in front of them, looking completely exhausted. She bent over, her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath.

“I could do this all day.” The Doctor told her cheerily, lowering the screwdriver.

She glared at them as she put her hands in the air.

“This is persecution.” She snapped. “Why can’t you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?”

“You tried to kill us and destroy this entire planet.” Seren reminded her, an angry expression on her normally cheerful face.

“Apart from that.” Margaret said dismissively.

“That’s enough to piss us off.” The Doctor said. “Now take us to the exhibition room.”

“Why?” Margaret asked.

Mickey, Rose and Jack looked confused as well, wondering what was in the exhibition room.

“Because it has the model of the nuclear power plant that you’ve been building.” Seren said.

Margaret grumbled quietly to herself as she led them back inside the building.

“So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped.” The Doctor said as they walked into the exhibition room. “Your family get killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station.” He gestured to the large model of the nuclear power plant that was on a table in the center of the room. “But what for?”

Seren and Jack examined the model with interest, taking in every detail. The model was entirely white except for a grey platform in the middle, where the main part of the power plant cylinders was located. Seren absently took Mica out of her carrier and removed her coat, leaving both on the side, and put her on the floor with a few toys to keep her occupied.

“A philanthropic gesture.” Margaret replied, glancing at Seren briefly with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the Doctor. “I’ve learnt the error of my ways.”

“And it just so happens to be on top of the Rift.” Seren remarked, looking away from the model and at Margaret.

“And what Rift would that be?” Margaret asked, looking at them in picture of complete innocence.

“A Rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go schwwwupboom!” Jack replied, making an exaggerated motion with his hands as he tried to convey the damage that would be caused.

“This station is designed to explode the moment it reaches capacity.” The Doctor said, looking down at the model keenly.

“Didn’t anyone notice? Isn’t there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?” Rose asked, complete confused as to how things can get so far without anyone seeing.

“We’re in _Cardiff_. London doesn’t care!” Margaret exclaimed, rolling her eyes at the blonde as Seren turned to look at her with a smirk on her face. “The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice…” she trailed off, her eyes wide as she realized what she was saying.

“Ooh, someone sounds like a Welshman.” Seren said with a giggle.

“God help me, I've gone native.” Margaret groaned, sending Seren into a fit of laughter.

“Why would she do that?” Mickey asked, looking at the model. Seren stopped laughing and turned to the Londoner, seeing the point in his question. “A great big explosion, she’d only end up killing herself.”

“ _She’s_ got a name, you know.” Margaret ground out, glaring at Mickey.

“ _She’s_ not even a she, she’s a… _thing_.” Rose said, looking Margaret up and down.

“Oh, but she’s clever.” The Doctor said, eyeing Margaret. In one swift move, he removed the white cylinders that were covering the grey platform and pulled it out, flipping it over and revealing the electronic circuit-board beneath. He looked at it with a grin. “Fantastic.”

“Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?!” Jack asked excitedly, looking at the circuit-board like a child on Christmas.

“Couldn’t have put it better myself.” The Doctor commented, looking at Jack with an impressed expression on his face.

“Ooh, genius!” Jack exclaimed excitedly as he took the extrapolator from the Doctor and looked at it closely. The Doctor’s eye caught a poster on the far wall as Jack turned to Margaret with a frown, “You didn’t build this.”

“I have my hobbies.” Margaret replied, shrugging. “A little tinkering…”

“No, no, no, I mean you _really_ didn’t build this.” Jack interrupted her, shaking his head. “Way beyond you.”

“I bet she stole it.” Mickey commented, handing the power plant model cylinders to Mica to play with when she shakily toddled her way to him.

“It fell into my hands.” Margaret said defensively, glaring at Mickey.

“Is it a weapon?” Rose asked, looking at Jack as he placed the extrapolator on the floor.

“It’s a transport.” Jack replied, standing up straight as he explained. “You see, if the reactor blows, the Rift opens. Phenomenal cosmic disaster. But this thing” he pointed to the extrapolator at his feet, “shrouds you in a force-field. You have this energy bubble, zzhuum,” he gestures wildly around his body to imitate the force-field, “so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system.”

“You mean it’s a pan-dimensional surfboard?” Seren asked, simplifying the ex-con’s explanation.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Jack said, nodding.

"And it would've worked. I would've surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilization." Margaret muttered bitterly.

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked, incredulous.

“Like stepping on an anthill.” Margaret told him unrepentantly.

Seren glared at her, using every ounce of self-control not to march over and slap the Slitheen woman.

“How’d you think of the name?” The Doctor asked, drawing their attention to him.

They saw him standing with his back to them, staring at the poster that held the name of the project. Seren looked at it and her eyes widened in surprise.

‘The Blaidd Drwg Project’ was the name of the power plant project.

“What, Blaidd Drwg?” Margaret asked before adding dismissively, “It’s Welsh.”

“We know.” Seren replied, the only other person in the room who knew Welsh.

“But how did you think of it?” the Doctor asked again.

“Chose it at random, that’s all.” Margaret replied, shrugging. “I dunno, just sounded good. Does it matter?” she looked at the Doctor in confusion.

“Blaidd Drwg.” The Doctor said softly, turning around with his brow furrowed.

“What’s it mean?” Rose asked, seeing the Doctor’s furrowed brow and Seren’s wide eyes.

“Bad Wolf.” Seren replied quietly, picking Mica up when the baby came near her. She looked at the Doctor with a haunted expression. “Doctor, I’ve heard that lots of times, over and over in various forms…”

“Everywhere we go.” The Doctor said in agreement, looking at Seren with just as haunted an expression. “Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf.”

“But how can words follow us?” Seren asked, holding Mica tighter to her chest. "Especially two specific words?"

He didn’t reply, staring at Seren and Mica for several minutes without really seeing them.

"Nah! Just a coincidence!” The Doctor said finally, a grin making its way across his face. Seren sighed, her tense posture relaxing slightly. “Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind! Things to do." He claps his hands briskly. "Margaret, we're gonna take you home."

“Hold on, isn’t that the easy option?” Jack asked argumentatively. “Like letting her go?”

“I don’t believe it!” Seren exclaimed excitedly. “We actually get to go to Raxacoricofallapatorius!”

“That’s it!” the Doctor cheered excitedly, taking Seren – and Mica- in his arms and spinning them around happily.

Mica and Seren laughed at the movement, and Seren looked into his expressive blue eyes. In that moment, she realized that Rose might be right, she might be in love with the Doctor. The realization brought a bright smile to her face, lighting her up as though she were glowing.

“Hold on, how were you able to pronounce it?” Rose asked, having tried to pronounce the name only to mess it up.

“Rose, I speak _Welsh_.” Seren told the blonde, turning in the Doctor’s arms to look at her god-sister. “It is one of the most complicated and difficult languages in the world.”

“Good point.” Rose muttered quietly.

The Doctor let go of Seren and took Mica out of her arms, throwing her in the air and catching her, causing the child to laugh.

“We’re gonna go to Raxacoricofallapatorius.” He said cheerfully, tossing the baby up in the air again and catching her. “Do you wanna come to? Is Mam gonna let you come?” he turned to Seren, asking her, “ _Is_ Mam going to let her come?”

“Yeah, I really don’t think so.” Seren replied regretfully. “Mica is going to be staying on Earth, where it’s safe.” She turned to Mica, poking the baby gently in her chubby rosy cheek. “Isn’t that right, Mica?”

The two were so caught up with each other and with Mica that they didn’t realize the image they made to those that were watching them. Mickey and Jack exchanged looks with soft smiles on their faces and turned back to watch the Doctor, Seren and Mica. The three really looked like a family – the Doctor holding Mica in his arms, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at Seren with love in his eyes; Seren looking up at him and talking to Mica, love shining brightly in her own expressive orbs; and Mica babbling away to the two of them, one tiny hand on each of their cheeks.

Without the Doctor or Seren noticing, Jack opened his wrist strap and snapped a photo of the three of them laughing with each other, wanting to treasure the image that they made.

“They have the death penalty.” Margaret’s comment sent a nasty silence echoing through the room. In that moment, the happiness and cheer that had filled them faded as they turned to her. “The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death.”

“Not my problem.” The Doctor replied indifferently, shrugging as much as he could with Mica in his arms.

Seren and Rose proceeded to pick up the toys Mica had been playing with and put them back in the diaper bag while Mickey picked up the model pieces that Mica had been playing with and put them on the table while the Doctor put Mica’s coat back on her and grabbed her carrier.

Once that was done, the Doctor led them out of the City Hall building and toward the direction of the Plass where the TARDIS was parked. Rose, seeing that it had gotten dark out, decided that it was time to return home, especially since she had work the next day.

“Remember to call Mum.” Rose said, hugging Seren tightly as the rest of the group walked ahead of them slightly. “And Siwan, they both miss you.”

“I will. Don’t worry.” Seren replied as they let each other go. “Be safe and let me know when you reach London, _and_ when you reach home.”

Rose nodded and handed the diaper bag she had been carrying over to Seren before the two hugged each other once more.

“Bye.” Rose said.

“Bye.” Seren said as well, watching the blonde turn around and head in the direction of the train station.

Seren waited until she could no longer see Rose before turning around and running to catch up with the Doctor – Mica in his arms, falling asleep as she drank from the bottle that the Time Lord was holding - Jack, Mickey and Margaret.

“How is she?” Seren asked softly, gesturing to the drowsy baby.

“Falling asleep.” The Doctor replied. “I guess she had more excitement than she’s used to.”

Seren laughed lightly as she watched Mica’s eyes flutter gently closed and her breathing even out as the bottle slipped out of her mouth. The Doctor made to move it away but she stopped him, putting a gentle hand on his arm.

“Wait until we reach the TARDIS.” She said softly. “If she wakes up while we’re transferring her, the bottle will be the only thing that will keep her from screaming.”

The Doctor nodded in understanding and just lowered his hand slightly, taking Seren’s hand with his free one and interlocking their fingers. Arriving at the TARDIS, the small group went in, Seren dropping the diaper bag and her purse on the floor beside the jump seat as Jack took off his jacket, gloves and scarf, tossing them over a pillar.

Seren proceeded to take Mica out of the carrier, wincing when the baby woke up and began crying. She took the bottle from the Doctor and held it to Mica, who took it and eagerly began drinking, falling back to sleep seconds later; however, not wanting the baby to wake up again, she began walking around the console room with the bottle held to Mica’s mouth as she subconsciously continued to drink her milk. The Doctor removed the carrier and put it on top of the diaper bag, rubbing his shoulders slightly to ease the tension that had built from having the carrier on for so long. Jack sat on the ground beside the console, hooking the extrapolator to the TARDIS, with Mickey standing behind him and watching as he worked.

“This ship is _impossible_! It’s _superb_!” Margaret exclaimed, looking around in wonder. She turned back to the Doctor, who was now standing by the console, just in front of Jack. “How do you get the outside around the inside?”

“Like I’d give _you_ the secret, yeah.” The Doctor replied sarcastically, glancing at her briefly before turning back to the console.

“I almost feel better about being defeated.” Margaret commented. “I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods.”

Seren rolled her eyes as she put Mica’s now empty bottle on her diaper bag and resumed rocking the sleeping baby.

“Don’t worship me. I’d make a very bad God.” The Doctor told her with a hint of warning. “You’d never get a day off for starters.” He turned to Jack as he asked, “Jack, how we doing, big fella?”

 “This extrapolator’s top of the range.” He commented, peering up over the console to look at Margaret. “Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Some airlock sale.” Margaret replied shrugging, attempting to sound dismissive.

“Must’ve been a great heist.” Jack commented to her before turning to the Doctor. “It’s stacked with power.”

“But can we use it for fuel?” the Doctor asked, looking at him.

“No, it’s not compatible.” Jack replied regretfully, shaking his head. “But, it should knock off about 12 hours. We’ll be ready to go by morning.”

“Then we’re stuck here. Overnight.” The Doctor muttered grumpily.

“I’m in no hurry.” Margaret muttered.

“So, we’ve got a prisoner in a police box.” Seren commented with a smirk.

"You're not just police, though.” Margaret pointed out. “Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you . . ." she trailed off, smiling unpleasantly at them.

“Well, you deserve it.” Mickey stated coldly.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood.” Margaret said, turning her gaze onto Mickey. “Which makes you better than me, how, exactly?" Mickey didn’t reply, not having an answer. "Long night ahead . . ." Seren and the Doctor watched her as she took her time walking around the console, seating herself elegantly on the jump seat. She looked around at them as they watched her. “Let’s see who can look me in the eye.”

Margaret fixed Mickey with a calm and collected gaze. He managed to hold it for several seconds before averting his eyes, an uncomfortable look on his face. She turned her collected gaze to the Doctor who only glanced up for a moment before turning back to the console, more preoccupied with his task at hand than holding the Slitheen’s gaze – despite this, he was very aware of the tense atmosphere that engulfed them. Unable to see Jack due to him sitting on the ground with the console between them, she turned her collected gaze onto Seren. Seren looked at her with large eyes, unblinking as she continued to rock the baby in her arms, holding the gaze until the Slitheen began to fidget in her seat and broke the look.

“I’ve stared death in the eye, Margaret, just as I have stared the most violent of criminals.” Seren told her cryptically. “I’m perfectly capable to hold you gaze.”

Margaret looked back at Seren, this time with a glare on her face. Seren ignored the look, turning to her bag when her mobile pinged twice inside with the alert of incoming texts. She read the texts, her mobile in one hand and Mica in the other. One was from Rose saying that she was at the station and about to board her train while the other was from Rhiannon. Seren looked up at the Doctor, seeing Mickey quietly leave out of the corner of her eye.

“That was Rhi. She’ll come by in a short while to pick Mica up.” She told him and he nodded. She moved around him and put Mica, in her diaper bag-turned- baby cot, on the floor next to Jack, with a blanket covering her. The cot was far enough away so that the baby wouldn’t be affected by the work going on at the console, but close enough that Jack or the Doctor could keep an eye on her as she dreamed. “I’m going to go outside. Mica’s here next to Jack.”

“Stay nearby.” Jack said as Seren moved around the console to grab her purse. “In case we need to get you.”

She nodded and squeezed the Doctor’s hand before kneeling down and kissing Mica’s forehead.

“I have my mobile with me if you need to get in touch. I’ll be nearby with Mickey.” She told them as she turned around and walked out of the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Jack watched her leave, gently closing the door behind her with her purse on her shoulder. She walked around the TARDIS and came up beside Mickey. He was staring up at the water tower, watching as the water cascaded down endlessly.

“How are you holding up?” Seren asked him softly, looking up at the water tower as well.

“Freezing.” He replied cheerfully, turning to look at her and rubbing his hands together to warm them. “But it’s better than in there.” He gestured towards the TARDIS with his head. He let out a breath. “She _does_ deserve it. She's a Slitheen. I don't care.” He sighed as he looked back at the TARDIS. “It's – it’s just… weird, in that box.”

“It takes some time to get used to her and the Doctor.” Seren replied softly, smiling up at him and walking forward slightly before turning to look at him.

“How are you not freezing?” Mickey asked her, taking in her distinct lack of reaction to the cold night air that surrounded them.

“I grew up here.” She reminded him, a bright smile on her face as she looked up at the star-studded sky. “And I’ve been to places that were infinitely colder.”

“Have you spoken with Siwan?” he asked her, wondering if she had been able to with how crazy it had been throughout the day.

“We haven’t spoken over the phone, but we have texted each other.” She replied, looking at him once more. “Rhi said she’ll be by in a bit to pick Mica up.”

“Mica still sleeping?”

“Yeah.” Seren replied, nodding. “Jack and the Doctor are keeping an eye on her.” She looked at him and saw a shadow of sadness on his face as he looked at her. She frowned and walked up to him. “Mickey, what is it? Why do you look sad?”

“It’s nothing.” He replied shaking his head. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow disbelievingly. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “What are your feelings for the Doctor? Are you in love with him?”

Seren stared at him, taken aback by the questions.

“I don’t know.” She admitted finally. “I think I might be.”

“I thought so.” He said, nodding. “When you’re with him, it’s as if the shadows that had haunted since your parents died no longer exist. Seeing you guys today, I realized that, as terrified as I am of you going with him, I can’t blame him for helping you heal.”

“You really think so?” she asked, looking up at him with her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Yeah, Seren. I do.” He replied nodding. “It’s the reason Jackie didn’t fight too much with you about going with him. Even then, as much as she wanted to deny it, she could see just how much he was helping you heal.” He shook his head and grinned down at her. “Although, I think it has more to do with you actually being firm with her about wanting to resume travelling with him.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe I did that.” She muttered, a slight blush on her cheeks. “I have never really gone against anything I have been told since Mam and Tad died.”

“That’s exactly why she knew that going with him was something you needed to do.” He told her gently. “For your sake, she agreed.”

Seren smiled up at him, wiping away a few tears that tracked down her cheeks.

“Come on, we’ve got the night before we leave. Let me show you my Cardiff.” She said, holding her hand out to him. “And I’ll show you some pubs that are said to be pretty good.”

“Don’t you need to tell him or something?” Mickey asked, taking her hand and gesturing towards the TARDIS with his head.

“No. If he needs anything, he can phone me.” Seren replied as she began leading him across the Oval Basin of the Roald Dahl Plass.

As they walked, she pointed out different places and told them what they were. Slowly, they made their way towards Mermaid Quayside, Seren still chattering away.

“You said you had been to a place that was colder then Cardiff. Where was it?” Mickey asked curiously, as they walked past a few restaurants.

“Well, there was one a while back called ‘Woman Wept’.” She replied enthusiastically as they made their way down the steps to the Bay. “It was actually called ‘Woman Wept’, because if you looked at it from a certain angle from above, there’s a massive continent that resembles the shape of a woman lamenting.”

He nodded, looking mildly interested. Seren, happy to be with her best friend and back in Cardiff for the first time in at least five years, continued talking about the adventures she had. She didn’t realize that Mickey was no longer interested, only listening because of how long it had been since she was so enthusiastic about something.

“And there was this beach we had gone to. There were no people, no buildings, just a beach thousands of miles across as far as the eye could see. And something had happened to the sun, causing the sea to freeze over entirely.” They reached the edge of the pavement and leaned on the railings as she continued talking. “It had happened in a split second, in the midst of a raging storm with waves and foam, it just froze over all the way to horizon. At midnight, we walked along the beach, beneath the waves that were over a hundred feet tall and made entirely of ice.” She took a breath and looked at him. "Okay, enough about me. What’s new with you?”

“I’m going out with Trisha Delaney.” He replied, staring out across the water and adamantly not looking at her.

“Mickey, that’s great.” Seren said, looking at him with a sincere smile. “Trisha from the shop, right? Rob’s sister?”

“Yeah.” Mickey replied, nodding as he glanced at her for a moment.

“She’s really nice, very sweet.” Seren said nodding. She was happy Mickey was living his life again, being himself.

“You’ve been away.” He said softly, looking at her, feeling the need to justify himself.

“Mickey, it’s great that you’re dating Trisha.” Seren said with complete sincerity.

“So, tell us more about your adventures then.” He said with a smile.

Seren smiled and once again launched into a descriptive story, telling him about the places she had been. They began walking once more, going along the Bay. They came to a stop on the jetty by the restaurants and Mickey sat on the bench while Seren leaned against the railing and looked out over the dark waters, lost in thought.

She was startled from her thoughts by her mobile ringing, ‘Ode to Joy’.

“Jones.” She said, answering the call and putting the mobile to her ear.

_“Seren, it’s Siwan.”_ Siwan said from the other end.

“Siwan, how are you?” Seren asked with a wide grin. “How’s Adam?”

Mickey walked away, just out of hearing range to give the two some privacy though he could still see Seren as he looked out over the Quay.

_“We’re good.”_ Siwan replied. _“Just wanted to call and catch up. How long you staying for?”_

“We should be leaving in the morning.” Seren replied. “How’s your assignment coming along?”

_“It’s good. Just finished it, finally.”_ Siwan replied with an exaggerated groan. Her tone became slightly serious as she said, _“There’s something I need to tell you.”_

“What is it?” Seren asked in a slightly worried tone, straightening up from her near slouch against the railing. “Is everything all right?”

_“Yeah, everything is great.”_ Siwan replied reassuringly. _“Adam asked me to move in with him.”_

“What did you say?” Seren asked curiously.

_“I… didn’t exactly get the chance to reply.”_ Siwan admitted.

“What do you mean?”

_“Well, he got called in for an emergency and I got busy with school work and all the paperwork involved with the emergency he was called in for.”_ She replied almost sheepishly. _“But I don’t know how to reply to him.”_ Siwan let out a frustrated breath.

“Do you want to?” Seren asked. “Move in with him?”

_“Yeah.”_ Siwan replied after a moment’s pause. “ _I am seriously considering it.”_

“Then what’s the problem?” Seren asked.

_“You’re right, there isn’t one.”_ Siwan replied, a smile in her voice. _“We have been practically living together since you began travelling with the Doctor after your brief visit home back in March. Either here at the Estate or at his place.”_

“Exactly.” Seren said, leaning back against the railing and looking at the star-studded sky.

_“Thanks Seren.”_ Siwan said softly. _“I love you.”_

“I love you too.”

They spoke for several more minutes, talking about everything and nothing, until they heard Adam enter the Estate flat.

_“Okay, Adam’s home.”_ Siwan said. _“I’m going to talk to him. I love you, bye.”_

“Good luck. I love you too. Bye.”

They hung up the phone and Seren was about to put the mobile back in her purse when it pinged with an incoming text. She read it and sent a message back before putting it away as Mickey came back towards her.

“Rhi’s picked Mica up, they’re heading back home.” She told him and he nodded, sitting down on the bench.

“So, what d’you want to do now?” he asked looking at her.

“I don’t mind.” She replied. “Whatever you want to do.”

“There’s a bar not too far away with a Spanish name or something.” He said, looking in the direction of the bar.

“Mickey,” Seren said quietly, causing him to look at her. “There’s something that’s been bugging me.”

“What is it?”

“You said you were going out with Trisha Delaney.” Seren started, looking up at him. “You don’t even like Trisha!”

“Oh, is that right?” Mickey asked loudly, “What the hell do you know?”

“I know you, Mickey!” Seren exclaimed. “I know you better than you know yourself! Who do you think you’re kidding?”

“At least I know where she is!” he exclaimed.

“This is about me?” She asked, her own frustration and anger deflating just as quickly as his as she looked up at him in complete confusion.

“You _left_ me!” he yelled, standing up and suddenly very angry. All the feelings that he had been trying to work through for the past several months surged to the surface as he was confronted with Seren’s complete cluelessness. “Even though we weren’t entirely happy, we were content. We were nice and content. And then what? You kissed my cheek and run off with him, making me feel like I was nothing, Seren. All my life, you always made me feel like I was worth something, then in that one moment, you made me feel like I was nothing.” Seren stared at him in shock, his eyes filling with tears as he finally told her what he had been holding onto for over a year and a half. “I can’t even go out with a stupid girl from a shop because when you pick up the phone, I come running. Is that what I am to you, Seren? Just some standby?” Seren shook her head mutely, unable to say anything as she was confronted with the unintentional way she had been treating her best friend. “Am I supposed to sit here for the rest of my life, waiting for you? Because I will, Seren. For my best friend, for _you_ , I will.”

“I’m so sorry, Mickey.” Seren said softly, looking up at him with tears in her own eyes. “I didn’t realize…”

He sighed and leaned back against the railing beside her, looking away from her.

“I’m not asking you to leave him.” Mickey continued as he sat down. Seren sat down beside him. “I’m not going to ask you to leave him, because I know that’s not fair. Not after everything he has done to help you, even if he doesn’t know it. But I just need something, yeah? Some sort of promise that when you _do_ come back, you’re coming back for me. Not just Siwan, Rhi or the kids. Not just because you guys happen to be nearby and decided to drop in for a visit, but for me.”

Seren looked at him, ready to give him that promise, when the sound of a low rumbling echoed in the distance.

“Is that thunder?” She asked instead, turning around to look in the direction the sound came from.

“Does it matter?” Mickey asked.

There was another echoing rumble, this one louder than the previous one.

“That’s not thunder.” Seren said, looking around the Quay.

A streetlight exploded and several nearby pedestrians shrieked in horror and fear. Along the Quay, several more streetlights exploded as shop and restaurant windows smashed from the force of the quakes. Seren shot to her feet and ran in the direction of the TARDIS, where the rumbling was echoing away from.

“Oh, go on then, run! It's him again, isn't it? It's the Doctor! It's always the Doctor! It's always going to be the Doctor. It's never me!” she heard Mickey yell bitterly behind her.

She gasped as a few tears escaped down her face, knowing that he was right. She didn’t even realize it, but she would almost always choose the Doctor if it came down to a choice, and that realization filled her with sorrow for the best friend that she unintentionally been taking advantage of.

She ran across the Quay, dodging exploding streetlamps, shattering window glass and panicking pedestrians. As she crossed the Oval Basin on the Plass, she avoided the cracks that began appearing in the ground beneath her heeled feet, becoming increasingly larger and appearing rapidly as the seconds passed. She jumped over several cracks in quick succession and grounded to a halt when she saw what lay in front of her.

She stared with wide eyes at the TARDIS, silver-blue energy streaming into the sky from the magnificent blue box. At the back of her mind, she can feel Idris screaming in agony at the energy that was being channeled through her.

Seren ran forwards, jumping over the widening cracks and barely pausing when she reached the TARDIS doors. The forward momentum propelled her through the still open doors and she had to grab hold of a coral pillar to keep from being thrown into the sparking console. The Doctor and Jack were frantically working at the console, trying to close the Rift.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” Seren asked the Doctor and Jack, noticing Margaret standing nearby. The lights inside were tinged with blue and green, giving the TARDIS an almost sickly glow. “Why’s the Rift open?”

“Oh, just little me.” Margaret said gleefully, causing them to whirl around and look at her in surprise and confusion. She freed one of her arms from the skin-suit, revealing her claw. With one swift movement, she grabbed Seren by the neck and pulled her close as her own personal shield, holding tightly enough to prevent the tiny Welshwoman from being able to fight back against the dangerous hold. The Doctor darted forward, moving around the console to try and reach Seren when Margaret looked at him and snapped, “One wrong move and she snaps like a promise.”

As if to emphasize her promise, she tightened her hold on Seren’s neck ever so slightly, causing the woman to flinch at the pressure as she grabbed hold of the claw and tugged uselessly. It was Seren’s flinch that halted him in his tracks more than the threat; he knew that Seren was capable of defending herself, but with her being held the way she was,  she was helpless.

“I might have known.” The Doctor said, glaring at Margaret.

The glare was mimicked by Jack as Margaret raised Seren up, dangling a foot above the ground.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it." Margaret spat at the Doctor, moving herself and Seren closer to the console. She turned to Jack, snapping her orders. “You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet.”

Jack hesitated, glaring at Margaret. In response, Margaret tightened her hold around Seren’s neck, causing the woman to gag and gasp as the constriction slowly prevented her from getting oxygen into her lungs. Jack looked at the Doctor, hesitation written all over his face – he didn’t want to let Margaret get away while destroying the planet, nor did he want Seren to die. The Time Lord nodded and the ex-con obeyed the orders, reluctance still expressed clearly on his face as he picked up the extrapolator and placed it at the Slitheen’s feet.

“Thank you.” She said sweetly as Jack moved back, glaring at her. “Just as I planned.”

“What happened to needing to blow up the nuclear power plant?” Seren gasped, her voice coming out strangled. She was trying not to scream in pain as she felt Idris screaming at the back of her mind, the Rift doing the opposite of what it was supposed to do for her – rather than refuel her, it was zapping her strength as it channeled all its power into creating a concussion wave to carry out across the solar system.

“Failing that; if I were to be… arrested…” Margaret said, a self-satisfied smirk on her face, “then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator.” She looked at the Doctor, her smirk becoming a glare as she spat out her next words, “Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor.” Her tone became smug as she continued, “So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!” she put her free hand on the back of Seren’s head and pulled, causing the Welshwoman to gasp at the sudden increase of pain. “To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the Rift.” She looked around the TARDIS in awe as she breathed, “And what a power source it found… I’m back on schedule…” she turned to the Doctor and smiled. “Thanks to you.”

“The Rift’s gonna convulse.” Jack exclaimed, looking at Seren worriedly. “She’ll destroy the whole planet.”

“And you with it!” Margaret screeched, holding Seren to the side though she still had a tight grip on the woman’s neck. She stepped forward to stand on the extrapolator, looking at the Doctor and Jack, saying gleefully, “While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys… surf's up.”

The TARDIS console flashed and cracked open, bathing Margaret in a bright golden light. Immediately, the sound of Idris’ screams faded from Seren’s mind, to be replaced by the usual humming.

“Of course, opening the Rift means you’ll pull this ship apart.” The Doctor told her, seemingly calm. Only the tightening of his fist indicating his worry about Seren’s safety, as well as the planet’s.

“So sue me.” Margaret replied dismissively.

“It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. _My_ TARDIS. The best ship in the universe.” The Doctor said.

“It’ll make wonderful scrap.” Margaret said nastily.

“What is that light?” Seren asked in the slightly strangled voice, though her tone portrayed her wonder. “It’s so warm.”

“The Heart of the Tardis.” The Doctor replied, adamantly trying not to look at her. “This ship's alive. You've opened its soul.”

Margaret glanced at him before staring into the light, breathing heavily and seemingly forgetting everything else.

“It’s… so bright…” she breathed, her voice dreamy and vague, her eyes not tearing away from the light.

“Look at it, Margaret.” The Doctor said encouragingly.

“…Beautiful…” she breathed dreamily.

“Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch.” The Doctor said encouragingly. “Look at the light.”

Margaret looked at the light, her gaze transfixed as her grip on Seren relaxed unintentionally. Seren stumbled out of the hold but couldn’t move herself away from the warmth of the golden light. Jack, who had held his arm out for Seren, moved to her when he saw that she wasn’t planning to move.

A blissful smile spread across Margaret’s face as she stared into the light. She looked up at the Doctor, her gaze blissful and dreamy, as the Time Lord smiled gently at her.

“Thank you…” Margaret breathed, softly and genuinely.

Within the next second, she was engulfed by the golden light. Jack turned around so his back was facing it, covering Seren’s body with his own against the light. He straightened up when the light cleared and Seren peeked around his muscled chest to where Margaret was standing, only to gasp in shock.

Where Margaret had been, there was only the skin-suit as it flopped onto the extrapolator, completely empty.

The Doctor sprang into action, darting around the console and pressing buttons and pushing levers as the light shot a concentrated beam out of the console and shone against the wall.

“Don’t look! Stay there!” he ordered. “Close your eyes!”

But Seren couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mesmerizing light, only Jack’s hold on her keeping her from moving forward. The Doctor slammed down the last lever and the gap in the console closed, shutting out the light. Seren blinked a number of times to clear the spots in front of her eyes and the haze that settled over her mind.

“Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down.” The Doctor ordered and Jack opened his eyes, springing into action as well, rushing over to the console. “Shut down!” he turned to Seren. “Seren, that panel over there,” he pointed to the one he was talking about, filled with switches. “Turn all the switches to the right.”

Seren nodded and hurried to the panel in question, doing as told and turning the switches to the right. The three of them worked quickly, the Doctor telling them what to do and the two Companions carrying out the orders without question. As they worked, the console shot up several sparks that they dodged until finally, the shaking inside the TARDIS and the quakes outside stopped as the Rift energy stopped streaming into the sky.

Idris sang happily at the back of her mind, pulling a smile to Seren’s lips.

“Nicely done.” The Doctor said as the console room lit up with the usual soft yellow-gold lights. “Thank you all.”

“What happened to Margaret?” Seren asked, looking down at the apparently empty skin-suit.

“Must’ve got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence.” Jack replied, not to torn up about the fact.

“What?” Seren asked in dismayed sorrow. “No.”

“I don’t think she’s dead.” The Doctor said, shaking his head.

“Then where’d she go?” Jack asked, shooting Seren a confused look, wondering why she was upset over the woman that had held her hostage.

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS, and even I don't know how strong that is.” The Doctor replied, leaning against a coral pillar by Margaret’s empty skin-suit. “And the ship's telepathic - as Seren demonstrated earlier. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts . . ."

He trailed off as he crouched next to the suit, Seren and Jack joining him on the floor. The Doctor noticed something in the middle of the suit and reached in, pulling out an egg and holding it up to show the two Companions.

“There she is!” He said cheerfully.

“She’s an egg?” Seren asked, confused.

“Regressed back to her childhood.” The Doctor replied.

“She’s an egg?” Jack asked, repeating Seren’s question and just as confused.

“She can start again.” The Doctor said, looking at them happily. “Live her life from scratch.”

“As in give her to a different family?” Seren asked, the wheels turning in her head.

“Tell ‘em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!” The Doctor continued happily.

“Or she might be worse.” Jack pointed out cynically.

“That’s her choice.” The Doctor told him.

“Choice.” Seren repeated softly and her eyes widened. "Oh _Duw_ , Mickey!”

She jumped to her feet and ran out of the TARDIS. She ran across the Plass, toward the Quay where she had been with him last. Reaching, she looked around, taking note of the Emergency Services that were there, identified by the fluorescent yellow jackets, helping the civilians. There were ambulances arriving on the scene and leaving, all with their sirens blaring loudly.

Not seeing Mickey, she walked up to one of the paramedics and put a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.

_“Yes, miss?”_ he asked in Welsh, instinctively as he had just been attending to an elderly person in Welsh.

_“Sir, I’m looking for a friend of mine.”_ Seren replied in Welsh. _“He’s dark skinned, with dark hair and dark eyes, speaks with a London accent . Can you remember if you’ve seen anyone fitting such a description? His name is Mickey Smith.”_

  _“I’m sorry miss.”_ He replied after a moment, shaking his head regretfully. _“I have attended to so many people tonight alone that I can’t remember any of their descriptions.”_

_“I understand.”_ Seren replied, nodding sadly. _“Thank you.”_

_“Your welcome, miss.”_ The man nodded to her and turned back to the senior he had been attending to.

Seren turned and began walking away, heading in another direction. Her walk soon became a run as she searched every place she could think off, from the pubs to the restaurants and every place in between.

Finally, two hours later when she was still unable to find him, she headed back to the TARDIS. A few sorrow-filled tears ran down her cheeks and she angrily wiped them away. She didn’t blame Mickey for not sticking around; after all, he had been right when he said that she would always choose the Doctor. She just wished she had the chance to tell him that she would always be there for him, no matter what, just as he had always been there for her. She wanted to give him the promise that he had asked of her - that she would return for him just as she would return for her sisters, Rose, Jackie and the kids.

She entered the TARDIS quietly to find the Doctor and Jack fiddling with the controls.

“We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the Rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's all right.” The Doctor said, glancing at her.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Seren replied quietly.

“How’s Mickey?’ he asked, taking note of the sadness in her large eyes.

“He’s all right, I think.” She replied, silently praying that she was right and that he hadn’t been injured when the Rift had opened. “I couldn’t find him.”

“Do you want to go back out and try finding him again?” The Doctor asked, realizing that something was bothering her. “We'll wait.”

“No, it’s all right.” Seren replied, picking her purse up from the ground where it had fallen when Margaret had taken a hold of her. “I’ll just text Siwan to let me know when Mickey returns to London.”

Seren took out her mobile as the Doctor nodded, a slight frown on his face as he took in her sadness.

“Off we go, then!” He said cheerfully his mask effortlessly falling into place. He pressed a switch and the engines started up. “Always moving on!”

“Yeah.” Seren said quietly, unheard by the two men as her own mask fell into place.

She looked down at her mobile and saw that she had a message waiting for her. Opening it, she found that Rose had messaged her while she had been out searching for Mickey, saying that she had reached London and was heading back to the Estate. She sent Siwan a message saying that they were leaving earlier than planned, mostly out of habit than actual need since Siwan could always call her whenever she needed or wanted to.

“Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius.” Jack said before pausing and adding with a slight chuckle, “Now you don't often get to say that.”

“We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance.” The Doctor told them.

“That’d be nice.” Seren said almost wistfully as they dematerialized. She looked at her mobile, staring at the photo she had of Mickey as his contact profile. “He deserves better.” She quietly whispered, wiping away a stray tear.

_ Links: _

_*Seren swimsuit -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/ASCWAn123AH1o4pF8d1fFWMlOiDCa5PA58KlBj3hIfpKkTP9_hNM4S39oi7ooQSZx4c3WOpzCuRdRJF8q1Y0jO0/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/ASCWAn123AH1o4pF8d1fFWMlOiDCa5PA58KlBj3hIfpKkTP9_hNM4S39oi7ooQSZx4c3WOpzCuRdRJF8q1Y0jO0/)

_*Seren outfit –_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478858806/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478858806/)

_*Seren mobile -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/344032859030033955/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/344032859030033955/)

_*Seren hair -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477393480/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477393480/)

_*Mica multi-purpose diaper bag -<https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879471467618/> _

_*Mica outfit -_[ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478286655/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478286655/)  


	15. Bad Wolf

** Bad Wolf **

Seren woke up with a groan, absently noticing the smooth surface she was on. She sat up, a hand on her head as she saw the blurry form of a dark-skinned man kneeling in front of her.

“What happened?” she asked, rubbing her temples.

“It's all right.” The man said reassuringly, a gentle smile on his face. “It's the transmat. Does your head in… get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?”

“Seren.” She replied after a few seconds with a frown on her face. For a moment, she had barely been able to remember who she was. She patted the ground around her, trying to find her glasses.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a frown, seeing her pat the ground as she sat up.

“I’m trying to find my glasses.” She replied. “I can’t see without them.”

“Oh, here.” He said, holding the folded rectangle dark brown wire-framed glasses out to her. “They had fallen off your face when you were beamed in.”

“Thank you.” Seren said, putting them on and looking up at his much clearer form with a sincere smile on her face. “Have you seen the Doctor?”

 “Just remember, do what the android says.” He said instead of replying to her question. “Don’t provoke it. The android’s word is law.”

 “What android?” Seren asked, completely confused. “And where’s the Doctor? And Jack?”

“Positions, everyone!” A woman called out in the distance, clapping her hands.

 “Come on, hurry up.” The man said, helping her to her feet. As soon as she was on her feet and he let go of her, she stumbled and he caught her. “Steady, steady.”

She was dressed in a short cap-sleeved black blouse that came just below her chest and trimmed with gold embroidery, showing off her toned stomach, the red lahenga skirt with a gold-embroidered border that started from her hips and went down to the floor and the red dupatta that was around her neck and falling down her back*. She had a black cross-body purse* slung across her chest, resting against her hip. She had small red ruby studs in her ears, with no other jewellery, and her long hair was open, falling down to her hips in loose ringlets that started from the middle of her back. On her feet, she had a pair of black 6” high heeled strappy sandals*.

She held onto him for support as they walked forward to an area that had what looked to be podiums.

“I was travelling with the Doctor and a man named Captain Jack Harkness.” She said, trying to piece together what had happened. “They wouldn’t just leave without saying anything.”

“That’s enough chat! Positions!” the female voice from earlier called out briskly to them, apparently the Floor Manager. She was standing next to an inactive robot, the droid being attended to be a team of technicians. “Final call! Good luck!”

The man helping Seren smiled in anticipation, looking at Seren eagerly.

“But I’m not supposed to be here.” She stressed as he looked at her.

“Well, it says Seren on the podium…” he said, looking to the podium in question.

Seren frowned at him and turned to follow his gaze. Seren’s mouth dropped open in shock when she saw, sure enough, there was a podium with her name on it. The name plate was lit up, her name displayed proudly at the front of the podium.

“Come on!” he urged, his hold on her loosening as he dashed off to his own podium.

Seren slowly walked forward to her own podium, stepping on to it with trepidation and confusion, a sense of foreboding filling from deep with her heart.

“I must be going mad.” She muttered to herself as she took in her surroundings once again. The technicians attending to the android as the woman from earlier supervised them and the podiums on either side of her own. Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her, “It can’t be. This looks like the-”

“Android activated!” the woman from earlier called as the android sprang to life with a whir. Spot lights began shining behind the android as it raised its head.

“Oh, _Duw_. The Android.” Seren whispered to herself in horror. “The _Anne Droid_.”

_“Welcome, to the Weakest Link!”_ The Anne Droid said in a robotic voice that resembled the real Anne Robinson, although with a more robotic tone to the voice.

As soon as the Anne Droid announced the opening line, the theme music played around them and the lights flashed around them in resemblance to the real show.

“17, 16, 15.” The Floor Manager called, a hand to her headset. “Thank you people. Transmitting in… 11, 10 -”

Seren agitatedly leaned toward the man that had helped her, his name plate saying his name was Roderick.

“But I need to find the Doc-” Seren started quietly.

“Just- shut up and play the game!” Roderick snapped impatiently, pushing her back to her podium.

“All right, then.” Seren muttered, seeing that the only for her to get out so that she could find the Doctor and Jack was to play. “If I have to play my way out of here, I’m going to play to win!”

She smiled radiantly, facing forwards as Roderick looked at her distractedly. The expression on his face told her that he thought she was slightly mad, if not entirely insane.

“3, and cue!” The Floor Manager called.

_“Let’s play ‘The Weakest Link!”_ The Anne Droid announced. In imitation of the real show, theme music and lights came on as the Anne Droid continued, _“Start the clock.”_ The clock music that had annoyed Seren since David became fascinated with it began to play, echoing as the seconds ticked by. _“Agorax – the name of basic food stuff is an anagram of the word ‘beard’?”_

“Bread.” Agorax replied, a nervous expression on his face.

“Correct.” The Anne Droid replied, causing Agorax to let out a sigh of relief. _“Fitch - in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob?"_

“Is it…Clavadoe?” she asked, unsure.

_“No, Pandoff.”_ The Anne Droid replied before turning to Seren. _“Seren, in maths, what is 258-158?”_

“100.” Seren replied, slightly confused but getting the feeling that the round of nonsense questions was just a warm-up.

_“Correct. Roderick-”_

“Bank.” Roderick said, glancing at Seren and turning back to the Anne Droid.

_"Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word 'dangle' but not in the word 'gland'?"_

“E.” He replied after a moment.

_"Correct!”_  The Anne Droid turned to the next contestant. _“Colleen - in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?"_

“Default.” Colleen answered nervously.

_"Correct.”_ The Anne Droid turned to the next contestant, a male. _“Broff - the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute?"_

“Uh, T-Touchdown.” He stuttered nervously in response.

_"No - Torchwood."_ The Anne Droid corrected him and turned back to Agorax. Despite the foreboding feeling she had, Seren couldn’t help but giggle quietly at the absurdity of the questions. _"Agorax - in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word 'facetious'?"_

“Vowels.” He replied.

_"Correct. Fitch - in biology, which blood cells contain iron - red or white?"_

“Um… white.” Fitch replied nervously after a moment’s hesitation.

Despite the absurdity of the question, Seren managed to hold back her giggle, knowing that not everyone knew about biology – Fitch being among them.

_“No, red.”_ The Anne Droid replied. Fitch looked at the Anne Droid with an expression of terror at having gotten another answer wrong. The Anne Droid turned to Seren. _“Seren, in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?"_

“How in Arawen’s name would I know?” Seren asked, laughing.

Even with the foreboding feeling getting stronger as time passed, Seren couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the questions.

_“No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole.”_ The Anne Droid replied and turned to Roderick. _“Roderick, in maths, what is 9 squared?”_

“Um… 81.” Roderick replied strongly after a brief moment of hesitation as he calculated the answer.

“Correct.” The Anne Droid replied before moving to the next contestant.

The next several minutes passed as the Anne Droid asked them all a few more questions. As the round continued, the foreboding feeling she had was pushed to the back of her mind as her amusement took hold. She alternated between laughing at the absurdity and successfully holding back her laughter – she ended up laughing more than she actually managed to hold it in.

Finally, it came time for them to vote for the weakest link of the round.

_“So, Seren. What do you actually do_?” The Anne Droid asked her as she held up her board, Fitch’s name written on it in her elegant calligraphy.

“I’m a gymnast but I’m currently traveling.” Seren replied, answering the question but remaining vague.

_“Another way of saying ‘unemployed’.”_ The Anne Droid commented.

“Huh, yeah. I suppose so.” Seren replied thoughtfully, not bothering to argue with the Droid.

_“And yet, you still have enough money to have ruby earrings and gold embroidery on you clothes.”_ The Anne Droid commented. Seren raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to say that the gold wasn’t real when the Anne Droid asked, _“Why Fitch?”_

“She got a few of the answers wrong.” Seren replied and glanced at Fitch. She was confused at the sight of the older woman in tears. “That’s all.” She finished in a confused tone.

_“Oh, you’d know all about that.”_ The Anne Droid said bluntly.

“Yeah, but I can’t exactly vote for myself.” Seren commented turning back to the Anne Droid. “Wait, can I?” she asked hopefully.

_“No.”_

“That’s why I chose Fitch.” Seren replied, turning to look at the now quietly sobbing woman. She frowned, not understanding why the woman was sobbing, it wasn’t just sadness at being voted out, rather terror mingled with it. “I’m sorry… that’s the game. I had to vote for someone…” She said softly to Fitch, who ignored her.

Fitch looked at the Anne Droid, completely terrified.

“Let me try again.” She pleaded desperately. “It was the lights and everything. I couldn’t think.”

_"In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but - it's votes that count."_

“I’m sorry. Please….” Fitch pleaded terrified. “Oh God, help me!” She turned her pleas to the contestants as she looked around wildly at them.

Seren looked around in confusion, still in complete darkness to what was going on. Roderick looked away sadly and Broff sobbed silently into his board, Seren’s name written on it. She looked back at the Anne Droid as it spoke, looking at Fitch.

_"Fitch - you are the weakest link. Goodbye!"_

Seren could only stare in shock as the Droid’s mouth opened and a barrel gun protruded from it. Without any hesitation, the Droid fired the gun, a thick and rapid concentrated beam of yellow-gold light. The beam hit Fitch and she vanished, leaving only smoke where she had been standing as the gun retreated back into the Droid’s mouth.

“And we’ve gone to the adverts.” The Floor Manager announced as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Back in three minutes.”

“What was that?” Seren asked, whirling around to face Roderick and pointing at the smoke. “What just happened?”

“She was the weakest link, she gets disintegrated.” Roderick replied quietly, wiping his board clean. “Blasted into atoms.”

Seren stared at him with wide eyes, unable to comprehend his words. The foreboding feeling that had been pushed to the side when she became preoccupied with her amusement was back in full force and she began to feel sick.

“But I voted for her!” Seren said quietly and Roderick rolled his eyes. “This is sick!” she exclaimed, her words echoing around the silent studio. The contestants turned to look at her as she glared fiercely at them all. “All of you, this is just sick! I’m not playing-”

“I’m not playing!” Broff whimpered, cutting Seren’s rant off. They all turned to look at him and he continued, whimpering in terror, “I-I can’t do it.” the Anne Droid turned to him slowly as the other contestants looked on in quiet fear. Broff leapt off his podium and made a mad run for the door. “I’m not – please, somebody let me-”

_“You are the weakest link.”_ The Anne Droid said, opening its mouth and revealing the gun. It fired the beam and Broff disappeared mid-run with a scream. _“Goodbye.”_ The gun retreated back into its mouth and it slowly turned back to the remaining contestants.

Seren stared at the spot Broff disappeared in shock and absolute disgust.

“Don’t try to escape.” Roderick said quietly, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. “It’s play… or die.”

At the Floor Manager’s announcement, the show resumed and they went back to playing – round after round until they had to choose the next weakest link.

_“You are the weakest link. Goodbye.”_ The Anne Droid said to Colleen, firing the laser beam at her.

As Colleen disintegrated, Roderick and Seren looked away.

“Going to the break!” The Floor Manager announced. “Two minutes on the clock. Just a reminder – we’ve got solar activity coming up in 10.”

Seren glared fiercely at the Floor Manager, tired and completely fed-up with the game.

“Colleen was clever, she had banked all of our money.” Seren said to Roderick through clenched teeth as he wiped his board clean. “Why did you vote for her?”

"'Cos I want to keep you in!” Roderick replied, looking at her unkindly. “You're stupid! You don't even know the Princess Vossaheen's surname. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you. So that you get disintegrated, and I get a stack-load of credits. Courtesy of the Bad Wolf Corporation . . ."

“What do you mean, ‘Bad Wolf’? Who’s Bad Wolf?” Seren asked.

He looked at her as though he couldn’t believe she didn’t know the answers to her own questions.

“They’re in charge.” Roderick replied and seeing the still questioning look on her face, he rolled his eyes and added, “They run the Game Station.”

“Why are they called ‘Bad Wolf’?” Seren asked insistently.

“I dunno, it’s just a name.” Roderick said, shrugging. “It’s like an Old Earth… nursery rhyme sort of thing. What does it matter?”

“I keep hearing the words, everywhere we go.” She said pensively, her voice soft, speaking more to herself than to Roderick. “Bad Wolf.”

~~~~

Gwyneth said it in Mr. Sneed’s Kitchen – Cardiff 1869

_“The things you’ve seen, the darkness, the big bad wolf-” _

~~~~

A ground technician announced it at Van Statten’s base – Utah 2012

_“Attention all personnel – Bad Wolf One descending.”_

_~~~~_

Rose asked what the Welsh words meant in City Hall – Cardiff 2006

_“Blaidd Drwg.”_

_“What’s it mean?”_

_“ Bad Wolf.”_

~~~~

The Powell Estate – London 2006

‘ _Bad Wolf_ ’ graffitied on the side of the TARDIS.

~~~~

A newscast on Floor 139 – Station Five 200,000

The Face of Boe appeared on the Bad Wolf Channel.

~~~~

“Different times… different places.” Seren continued as the memories flashed across her mind’s eye as though on fast forward. “As though they’re written across the Universe…” she trailed off with a haunted expression, trying to understand what it meant.

“What are you going on about?” Roderick asked her impatiently, only having understood every third or fourth word.

“If the Bad Wolf is in charge of this Game Station,” she said, looking at him. “Maybe I’m not here by mistake. Someone’s been planning this.”

The thoughts raced through her mind as they went through another round of questioning.

When the time came to vote, Agorax was voted out and he was disintegrated with a scream. The gun retreated back into the Anne Droid’s mouth as the light behind Agorax’s name on the podium went out.

_“That leaves Seren and Roderick.”_ The Anne Droid said, turning to them. _“You’re going head-to-head. Let’s play ‘The Weakest Link’.”_

“Right, that’s the end of tactical voting.” Roderick said briskly, not looking at her. “You’re on your own now.”

_“Seren, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which Ancient British city?”_ The Anne Droid asked her, starting off the final round.

“York?” Seren replied, unsure

_"No, the correct answer is Sheffield.”_ The Anne Droid replied before turning to Roderick. _“Rodrick, in literature, the author of 'Lucky' was Jackie who?"_

“Stewart.” Roderick replied, taking a wild guess since he didn’t know the answer.

_"No, the correct answer is Collins. Seren, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what?"_

“Boe.” Seren replied. She smiled softly, remembering the ancient figure she had met on Platform One, the being that named her ‘Star-Flower’.

_“That is the correct answer.”_ The Anne Droid replied, turning to Roderick. _“Roderick, in history, who was the President of the Red Velvets?”_

“Hoshbin Frane.” Roderick replied after pondering for a second.

_“That is the correct answer.”_ The Anne Droid replied. _“Seren, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?"_

“Uh… is it... Mars?” Seren asked, completely unsure and naming a random planet.

_“No, the correct answer in Lucifer.”_ The Anne Droid replied. Seren closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to make it through the game so that she could find the Doctor and Jack as incorrectly answered yet another question. As the Anne Droid turned to him, a nasty pleasure glinted in his eyes, the look sending shivers up Seren’s spine. _“Rodrick, which measurement of length is said to have been defined by the Emperor Jate as the distance from his nose to his fingertip?”_

Seren glanced at Roderick and saw that he didn’t know the answer.

“Would that be a goffle?” he asked, unsure.

_“No, the correct answer is a paab.”_ The Anne Droid replied. _“Seren, in fashion, Stella Pok Baint is famous for what?”_

“Shoes.” Seren replied after a moment, her voice firm despite having taken a random guess.

_"No. The correct answer is hats."_ The Ann Droid replied. There were only two questions left, one for each of them and Roderick was still in the lead. _“Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields?"_

“San… Hazeldine.” He replied, pausing for a moment before saying the second word.

_"No, the correct answer is San Chen."_ The Anne Droid replied, turning to Seren for the final question. _“Seren, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?"_

There was a tense silence as Seren stared at the Droid and it stared back. Roderick glanced at her wondering what she was going to reply with and if it would be the correct answer.

“Reykjavik…?” Seren asked, not having any idea what the answer was and just putting together a group of vowels and consonants together to make a word.

For a single tense second, there was silence as Roderick looked between Seren and the Anne Droid, wondering if it was the correct answer – not knowing it himself.

_"No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura."_ The Anne Droid replied, causing an ecstatic smile to spread across Roderick’s face.

The lights flashed around them and the theme music played as the game ended, with Roderick winning with 2:1 in his favour.

"Oh, my God! I've done it!" he exclaimed gleefully. He turned to Seren, and without a single trace of pity or sorrow, he gloated, “You’ve lost!”

 “I’m not supposed to be here!” Seren cried in terror, knowing what was going to happen. “I need to find the Doctor and Jack, they’ve got to be here somewhere! The Doctor wouldn’t just leave without saying anything!”

_“Roderick, you are The Strongest Link. You will be transported home with 1600 credits.”_ The Anne Droid said, ignoring Seren as she panicked, speaking over the Welshwoman.

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much.” Roderick told the Droid, a wide smile on his face.

“This game is illegal!” Seren yelled, terrified though her voice remained strong as she leaned over her podium. “I’m telling you to stop!”

Suddenly, the door slammed open, drawing everyone except the Anne Droid’s attention.

“Seren!” the Doctor yelled as he, Jack and a young woman barged in through the door located on the other side of the studio.

_“Seren, you leave this life with nothing-”_ The Anne Droid said, facing Seren.

“Stop this game!” Jack yelled.

“I order you to stop this game!” The Doctor yelled.

_“You are the weakest link.”_ The Anne Droid finished, opening its mouth and revealing the gun.

“Look out for the Anne Droid, it’s armed!” Seren yelled, jumping off her podium and running towards the Doctor.

The Doctor ran across the expanse of the studio’s floor towards her. The Anne Droid turned, its aim following Seren and hitting her in the back with the disintegration beam when she was less than a foot away from him. Her glasses flew off her face from the force of the impact against her back.

“Doctor!” she screamed as she disappeared, her hand stretched out towards him.

The last thing she saw was his blurry stricken face as he reached out to her before everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seren woke with a groan, a familiar rhythmic hum echoing around her. She sat up, her eyes widening when she the blurry form what was slowly gliding towards her. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see very well, after her last encounter with the being, she would recognize it even if she had been unable to see it at all - a Dalek.

“It can’t be…” she breathed scrambling to her feet and stumbling backwards in an attempt to get away from it. “But you’re dead… I saw you die!”

It glided towards her until she was backed against a walled pillar. She tried to edge away, towards the side, but the sucker shooting out prevented her from moving even half a step.

Several more glided in to the wide area she was in, stopping in neat rows. There were hundreds of them, and only from what she could see in front of her.

_“Alert! Alert!”_ a Dalek said as it came through an archway. _“We are detected!”_

_“It is the Doctor. He has located us.”_ The Dalek in front of Seren said, turning to face the others. _“Open communications channel!”_

Seren huddled against the wall, staring at them all with wide eyes. a Dalek, the one that had announced the alert, swivelled around to face Seren.

_“The female will stand.”_ It ordered her, repeating it when Seren made no move to comply. _“Stand!”_

Seren stood up, glaring at its general direction and pushing her fear aside. There was no way she was letting these temperamental pepper pots get the better of her, even if they terrified her beyond reason.

The Daleks looked up as an image materialized in the air above them – the Doctor, Jack, two females and a male staring through the holo-screen at the Daleks and Seren. Seren, despite not being able to see clearly, could almost _feel_ the Doctor’s grim expression as he saw Seren being flanked by three Daleks. He stared at the Daleks in distaste, the expression softening ever so slightly when he laid his eyes on Seren before hardening once more when he looked back at the Daleks.

_“I will talk to the Doctor.”_ A Dalek said.

“Oh, will you?” the Doctor asked in response, a mocking grin on his face as he waved. “That’s nice. Hello!”

_"The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."_

“Oh, really? Why’s that then?” The Doctor asked, his mocking grin fading and a glare taking its place.

_"We have your associate. You will obey, or she will be exterminated."_

Seren, who had been looking at the Doctor’s blurry figure on the screen, turned to look at the Dalek with a raised eyebrow.

“No.” the Doctor replied.

As one, Jack and the other three people that were there turned to stare at him in shock. A grin began forming on Seren’s lips as she looked back up in the direction of the screen.

_"Explain yourself."_ The Dalek ordered, not having expected the answer.

“I said ‘no’.” the Doctor repeated firmly.

_“What is the meaning of this negative?”_

"It means 'no'." The Doctor replied.

The Daleks confusion had Seren giggling, a hand on her mouth to try and silence the sounds.

_“But she will be destroyed.”_ The Dalek pointed out.

“No!” the Doctor announced passionately, standing up from the chair he had been in beside Jack. “'Cos this is what _I'm_ gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her." Seren looked in the direction of his voice, a proud smile on her face as she looked at his blurry figure. The other four people looked at him with expressions of awe. “I’m going to save Seren Rhoswyn Jones from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I’m gonna save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I’m gonna wipe every _stinking_ Dalek outta the sky!”

He finished off in a raised voice, speaking with passion and fire like a true hero, Seren’s hero.

_“But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!”_ The Dalek said.

“Yeah.” The Doctor agreed with a manic grin on his face. “And doesn’t that scare you to death?” he didn’t wait for a response as he turned to Seren. “Seren?”

“Yes?” she asked, looking at his blurry figure with a radiant smile lighting up her beautiful features.

“I’m coming to get you.” He told her before raising his screwdriver and closing the communication line.

_“The Doctor is initiating hostile action!”_ A Dalek announced.

_"The Stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!"_ Another said. 

The Daleks began spinning around wildly as they spoke. Seren had to jump out of the way as the Daleks began gathering together, taking no notice of her.

_“The Doctor will be exterminated!”_

_“Exterminate! Exterminate!”_ the Daleks cried, the air filling with the sounds of the massive army repeating the one word over and over again in unison.

Seren could only look on horrified silence at the blurry sight of the massive army, at the number of Daleks on the ship she was on alone.

She had no way of knowing that a similar scene was occurring on at least 200 more ship around her in the space above her beloved home, Planet Earth.

_ Links: _

_*Seren lahenga (red skirt and dupatta) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/Aef71xXVmHr395rOmINJXh44Pg7cYlf3B9WohyNvI1N8FiErryLSoaw/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/Aef71xXVmHr395rOmINJXh44Pg7cYlf3B9WohyNvI1N8FiErryLSoaw/)

_*Seren purse -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477252973/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879477252973/)

_*Seren sandals -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476966254/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879476966254/)


	16. The Parting of the Ways

_Notes: When Seren and Siwan are together, I am going to be calling them twins when they are being referred to by other people, since they are now physically the same age instead of a year apart. When they are referring to each other, they will still be saying ‘sister’._

** The Parting of the Ways **

Seren watched the blurry forms of the Daleks, the Doctor’s words sinking into them and sending them into a state of panic.

_“You know the Doctor. You understand him. You will predict his actions!” A_ Dalek said, swivelling around to look at her.

“I don’t know what he’ll do!” Seren snapped, glaring at them. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you!”

_“Predict! Predict! Predict!”_ The Dalek ordered her, the lights on its domed helm flashing as it spoke. It glided towards her dangerously, the gun arm twitching warningly.

_“TARDIS detected in flight.”_ Another Dalek said, causing the first to turn as it became distracted by the news.

_“Launch missiles!”_ The first Dalek ordered. _“Exterminate!”_

“No, you can’t!” Seren yelled desperately, her eyes filling with tears. “The TARDIS doesn't have defenses, you’re going to kill her and those inside!”

_“You have predicted correctly.”_ The Dalek said, swiveling around to look at her.

Seren trembled in fear, not for herself but for the Doctor and Jack, as the Daleks launched the missiles at the TARDIS. Before Seren or the Daleks could react to the missiles seemingly hitting their target, there was the sound of whirring and grinding. A sound that was as familiar to Seren as the sound of her sisters voices.

A breeze gently blew through Seren’s long untied hair and she turned in the direction it was coming from. She watched with wide-eyed amazement as the TARDIS slowly materialized around herself and the Dalek that was closest to her, the faint blurry outline of the Doctor becoming clearer as well.

The TARDIS materialized completely around Seren and the Dalek closest to her, the Doctor’s outline becoming more distinct until it formed completely in front of the console opposite Seren. Seren watched in amazement as the engines stopped whirring, her and the Dalek standing just below the steps up to the console platform. She saw Jack holding a massive gun in his hands, the Doctor standing next to him.

“Seren! Get down!” The Doctor yelled as the Dalek turned around to face the Time Lord and Jack, looking at them through its eyepiece.

Seren obeyed instantly, throwing herself flat against the ground of the console room.

_“Exterminate!”_ The Dalek screamed, firing its beam at Jack.

The beam missed by a hair’s breadth, hitting the pillar above his head. Jack used the gun he was holding to fire a beam of his own at the Dalek, making it explode with a scream. Seren slowly got to her feet as smoke billowed out of the Dalek’s remains.

She stared at it with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open.

“You destroyed it.” She breathed faintly, looking at the blurry figures of Jack and the Doctor.

The Doctor walked around the console and made his way to her, his foot steps echoing in the seemingly sudden silence after the sounds of weapons fire. The Doctor silently walked down the steps and pulled Seren into a tight hug, her head in his chest as he held her close and breathed in her natural scent of roses and strawberries. She reciprocated the move by wrapping her own arms around his larger, muscular frame, holding him tightly as she breathed in his scent of cinnamon and rosewood.

“It feels as if I haven’t seen you in ages.” Seren muttered into his chest.

“I told you I’d come and get you.” He said as they broke apart and looked at each other.

“I never doubted it.” She replied, squinting up at him.

“I did!” He exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. “You all right?”

“Yes, I’m all right.” She replied. “You?”

“Not bad.” He said with a shrug. “Been better.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded pair of rectangle wire-framed glasses. He gently put them on her face as he said, “I think you might need these.”

“Thank you.” She replied with a bright smile, looking up at him and able to see him clearly.

He smiled at her gently and stepped over to the smouldering remains of the Dalek, bending over to have a closer look at it as Jack approached Seren with a grin.

“Hey, don’t I get a hug?” Jack asked cheekily.

“Come here!” Seren exclaimed, holding her arms out to him.

“I was talking to him.” Jack said with a grin, gesturing to the Doctor’s back. Seren rolled her eyes at the response as they both laughed and threw their arms around each other. “Welcome home!” he exclaimed, hugging her tightly and lifting her up off the ground.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re all right.” Seren said happily.

She never once doubted that the Doctor and Jack would rescue her, however she feared that she would lose either of them as they tried to rescue her.

“Oh, you were lucky.” Jack admitted, letting her go and back onto her feet, looking at her. “That was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk.”

He let her go and they both turned to look at the Dalek’s remains. The battle armour had been completely blown apart by the force of the gun’s blast, leaving the mutant inside clearly visible. They watched as the Doctor examined it with his screwdriver.

“The one in Utah was supposed to have been the last one, making them extinct.” Seren said softly from one side of the Dalek, leaning back against the coral pillar behind her. Despite the Dalek being dead, she was slightly hesitant to get any closer to it than she had to. “How are they all alive now?”

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space." Jack said, crouching next to the Dalek the opposite side.

“They went off to fight a bigger war.” The Doctor said quietly, standing in front of the Dalek’s open body armour, between Jack and Seren. “The Time War.”

“I thought that was just a legend.” Jack said in obvious surprise, looking up at the Time Lord.

“I was there.” The Doctor said quietly as he stood up straight, his expression filled with sorrow as he remembered the past. “The War between the Daleks and the Time Lords, with the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it.” A tear made its way down his cheek and Seren reached out, taking his hand in her tiny one and squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, holding it as he said, “Now it turns out that they died for nothing.”

“There are thousands of them” Seren said, looking up at him with her hand still in his. “We were barely able to stop _one_ from killing us. How are we going to stop the entire Fleet?”

“No good stood round here chin-wagging!” The Doctor said cheerfully, letting go of Seren’s hand and wiping away the tear that had fallen down his cheek. The sudden apparent change in demeanour had Seren and Jack exchanging looks, wondering what the mad man was up to. “Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers. Let's go and meet the neighbours.” He clapped his hands together and made his way down the ramp, side-stepping the Dalek’s remains.

“Doctor, don’t go out there!” Seren yelled out to his retreating back, her and Jack rushing behind him.

However, he ignored her and opened the door, stepping outside the TARIDS.

_“Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"_ The awaiting Daleks exclaimed, firing their energy beams at him.

Jack and Seren stood in the doorway, Jack standing in front of Seren. They watched the beams reflect harmlessly off a clear forcefield surrounding the TARDIS, keeping the Doctor, and themselves, safe.

For several seconds, the Daleks fired at the Doctor before finally giving up, the echoing sound of their weapons and shrill voices fading into silence.

“Is that it?” The Doctor asked mockingly as he raised his hands just as mockingly. “Useless! Nul points!” he exclaimed with a French accent, walking towards the TARDS. “It’s all right, come on out. That forcefield can hold back anything.” He added to his two Companions as he leaned back against the panel nonchalantly.

“ _Almost_ anything.” Jack corrected as he stepped outside the TARDIS, Seren beside him.

“Yes, but I wasn’t going to tell them that. Thanks.” The Doctor replied exasperatedly, crossing his arms and looking at Jack pointedly.

“Sorry.” Jack said sheepishly as Seren punched his arm. “Ow!” he groaned, rubbing the sore bicep as he looked down at Seren who was glaring up at him. “How can you hit so hard? You’re a tiny wisp of a person!”

“What’s your point?” Seren asked dangerously, a raised eyebrow added to the glare she was aiming at him.

“Nothing.” He said frantically with wide-eyes, recognizing the dangerous look on the tiny Welshwoman’s face. “Absolutely nothing. You’re amazing.”

The Doctor smirked at Jack’s ‘deer-caught-in-the-headlights’ expression before turning to the Daleks. They were silent, watching the Time Lord, following his every movement with their eyestalks.

The Doctor walked forward and stopped at the edge of the forcefield’s bubble, the movement drawing Seren and Jack away from their by-play.

“D’you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld?” The Doctor asked the Daleks calmly. He didn’t wait for a response as he continued, “The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions . . . but I reckon that right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear." The Daleks eyestalks twitched in an almost nervous manner, never moving from the Doctor’s form as he spoke. “Doesn’t it just _burn_ when you face me? So tell me, how did you survive the Time War?”

_“They survived through me.”_ A deep voice echoed around them.

The Doctor turned around with a startled expression. He took a few steps towards the voice before stopping, towards a darkened area that was suddenly illuminated. A giant Dalek casing was revealed, towering above them all – the one-eyed mutant-like creature inside was blue and floating in the fluid tank as though it were a throne.

The Doctor stared up at it in open-mouthed awe as Seren and Jack moved forwards as well, stopping just behind the Doctor.

“Seren… Captain… this is the Emperor of the Daleks.” He breathed in quiet shock, not looking away from the Emperor’s massive form.

Seren and Jack stared up at the Emperor, the same expression of amazement on their faces.

_“You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive.”_ The Emperor said to the Doctor, its voice still echoing through the room.

“I get it.” He grounded out, anger and hate warring on his features.

_“Do not interrupt!”_

_“Do not interrupt!”_

_“Do not interrupt!”_

Jack and Seren winced slightly at the order repeated by three separate Daleks, Jack curling Seren into his arms protectively. The Doctor on the other hand, looked mildly annoyed at being told not to interrupt.

“I think you’re forgetting something.” The Doctor commented without turning around, his voice unwaveringly calm though mildly annoyed at the Daleks. “I’m the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do, it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So, if anybody's going to shut up,” he whirled around suddenly to face the Daleks as he yelled, “it's you!” The last word was pronounced with such fervor that the Daleks almost instinctively shuffled back, trying to get away from the infuriated Time Lord. Seeing the Daleks move back and make no further indication of interrupting, he turned back to the Emperor. “Okey doke. So, where were we?”

There was a pause as the Emperor stared at the Doctor with its one eye, slightly taken aback by the sudden light tone that the Doctor spoke with when he had yelled not only a second earlier.

_“We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding.”_ The Emperor said finally. _“Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed - they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted.”_ Seren looked up at the Emperor as it spoke, a terrible taste in her mouth as she listened to what was being said. _“The seed of the human race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured.”_

“So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead.” The Doctor summarized coldly, glaring up at the Emperor.

“But if they were created out of human cells, even just one, that would make them… half-human.” Seren pointed out, a frown on her face as she looked between Jack and the Doctor.

_“Those words are blasphemy!”_ The Emperor roared.

_"Do not blaspheme!"_

_"Do not blaspheme!"_

_"Do not blaspheme!"_

Jack and Seren flinched as the order was repeated by three separate Daleks, Jack tightening his arms around Seren protectively.

_"Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek."_ The Emperor said adamantly,

The Doctor looked at all the Daleks with a slightly disturbed expression on his face.

“Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?” He asked, still looking around at them with the disturbed expression on his face.

_“I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!”_ The Emperor announced.

_"Worship him! Worship him! Worship him!"_ The Daleks ordered in unison.

“Oh, _Duw_. They’ve become insane.” Seren breathed, looking around at the Daleks that were still ordering them to worship the Emperor.

“A hundred years in silence – that’s enough to drive anyone mad.” The Doctor added, turning to look at Seren and Jack before turning to stare intently at the Daleks. The intent look was mirrored by Jack as he looked at the Daleks as well, Seren’s expression was one of sadness and pity. "But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity." He shook his head sadly; like Seren, the sadness and the pity was for the Daleks. "You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever." He turned to the Emperor as he said, "We're going."

_“You may **not** leave my presence!”_ The Emperor roared.

Seren, Jack and the Doctor were half-way towards the TARDIS, inside the forcefield, when the Daleks glided forward.

_“Stay where you are!”_ One of the Daleks ordered as the time-travellers entered the TARDIS.

Seren and Jack ran up to the console before turning to look towards the doors. The Doctor grinned at the Daleks mockingly and closed the door on them.

_“Exterminate!”_ The Daleks cried repeatedly in unison.

They fired their beams at the TARDIS, however the forcefield protected the ship and her passengers. The Doctor rested his forehead against the closed doors, the ‘Exterminate’ order ringing in his ears as it was being called out by the Daleks outside.

Seren bit her lip, looking at the Doctor’s back in worry. She had seen him display a wide range of emotions – usually in the span of several seconds – however, this was the first time she saw him look so helpless. That alone, the Time Lord’s helplessness, terrified her more than anything else.

She stepped forward, cautiously approaching him as one would a frightened animal. She put a hand on his back, feeling the tension in his muscles even through his jumper and leather jacket.

He turned around slowly, looking at Seren as she kept her hand where it was, now on his chest, between his hearts. He reached up and gently squeezed it before letting her hand go.

“Come on. We’ve got work to do.” He said to her and Jack, who had been watching in silence, trying to be unobtrusive.

Seren nodded silently, wanting to ask him if he would be okay, but deciding that the questions could wait. The Doctor bounded up to the console and began pressing lever and pressing buttons, the TARDIS dematerializing from the Dalek spaceship. Several seconds later, spent in silence, the TARDIS rematerialized and the Doctor opened the doors, revealing Floor 500 of the Game Station.

“Turn everything up. All transmitters full power, wide open.” He ordered as he walked out of the TARDIS and up the aisle between two panels, Jack and Seren right behind him. “Now! Do it!”

“What does this do?” One of the three humans, the male, asked, glancing at the Doctor before looking at the console and doing as ordered.

“Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board.” The Doctor replied, coming to a stop between the male programmer and a dark-haired female programmer. “How’d you get on? Did you contact Earth?”

“Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programmes.” The male programmer replied, shaking his head and glancing up at the Doctor before turning back to the screen.

“And the planet's just sitting there, defenceless.” The Doctor replied, something at the corner of his eye catching his attention. He turned and saw the blonde-haired woman sitting next to the female programmer. “Lynda, what're you still doing on board?” He asked her worriedly when she looked up at him. Without waiting for a response from the blonde, he rounded on the programmers, angrily saying, “I told you to evacuate everyone.”

“She wouldn’t go.” The male programmer replied defensively.

“Didn’t wanna leave ya.” Lynda replied softly, smiling up at the Doctor.

Seren looked away, realizing that the blonde fancied the Time Lord. She wasn’t upset or hurt, she understood the enigmatic and charismatic appeal the man had; after all, she herself might very well be in love with him, so she didn’t blame Lynda for fancying him.

“There aren’t enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn’t be here.” The female programmer muttered before turning to the Doctor and saying, “We’ve got about 100 people stranded on Floor 0.”

“Oh, my God. The Fleet is moving.” The male programmer said, staring at his screen, the Doctor leaned in for a closer look. “They’re on their way.”

The Doctor looked around his surroundings for a moment before running to the consoles. He began frantically pulling out bits of the wires, leaving them on the ground before moving to the next.

“Dalek plan - big mistake.” He said rapidly, not breaking his stride as he worked his way to each of the consoles, pulling out wires. “Because what they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on - it's obvious. A great big transmitter - this station."

As he worked, Jack and Seren looked at him with their brows furrowed, trying to work out what he was up to. Lynda and the two programmers looked at the Doctor as though he were completely insane.

"If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it - anyone?" The Doctor asked leadingly as he pulled out the wires from the last console on one side of the aisle.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jack said, looking at the Doctor as though he was insane as he finally worked out what the Time Lord was saying.

"Give the man a medal!" The Doctor exclaimed with a wide grin, glancing at Jack before turning back to the console he was crouched in front of.

“A Delta Wave?” Jack asked incredulously.

“A Delta Wave!” The Doctor repeated excitedly.

“You have got to be joking!” Seren exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stared at the Doctor and Jack. She had read about Delta Waves on-board the TARDIS and knew exactly what they could do.

“What’s a Delta Wave?” The male programmer asked hesitantly, looking between the beautiful dark-haired woman with the Welsh accent that had been held by the Daleks, Jack and the Doctor.

“A wave of Van Cassadyne energy.” Seren replied, turning slightly and looking at the nervous man. “It basically fries the brain, _completely_.”

“Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbecued.” Jack added bluntly.

“Oh.” He said faintly, a grimace on his face as his skin took on a decidedly ashen tone.

“It can be calibrated to be species-specific according to their brainwave frequencies, keeping the Wave from harming us.” Seren said reassuringly, causing the programmer to regain some colour - though he still looked incredibly faint.

“And this place can transmit a _massive_ wave! Wipe out the Daleks!” The Doctor said excitedly, waving two medium sized circuit boards around in emphasis.

Seren opened her mouth to speak but was inadvertently cut off by Lynda.

"Well, get started and do it then!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"What she said." Seren said, gesturing to the blonde with her thumb.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about - ooh - three days?” The Doctor said rapidly, turning to the programmers and asking, “How long till the Fleet arrive?"

“22 minutes.” The male programmer replied, turning to look at his screen.

The Doctor frantically pulled another cable from the console, pulling until he reached the end and stared at it for a second. He looked up and beamed at them all.

Meanwhile Jack, who had removed the extrapolator from the TARDIS, hooked it up to the programmers’ consoles to try and establish a forcefield around as much of the Station as possible. He had to reroute several wires and systems to establish as much power to the forcefield as possible without interfering with its integrity or power.

“Okay, got this ready.” Jack said, drawing their attention to him as he lifted the extrapolator from the ground and placed it on top of the computer.

“What have you got?” Seren asked as she, the two programmers and Lynda gathered around him as he explained what he had done.

“We've now got a forcefield, so they can't blast us out of the sky. But, that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading.” Jack said, his hands on the palm pads as he manipulated a simulator on the computer screen to show the forcefield.

“Do they know about the Delta Wave?” the male programmer asked.

“They will have worked it out at the same time.” Seren replied, glancing at him before turning back to the screen.

“So, they want to stop the Doctor.” Jack continued, nodding at Seren’s reply. He pointed at the screen as he said, “That means they've got to get to this level, 500. Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, 500 to 495. So, they'll penetrate the station below that at level 494 and fight their way up.”

“Who are they fighting?” the male programmer asked, looking at the screen.

“Us.” Jack replied bluntly.

“And, what are we fighting with?” The male programmer asked him, looking worried and sounding panicked.

“The guards had guns with bastic bullets.” Jack said, straightening up and looking at the four of them. “That’s enough to blow a Dalek wide open.”

“There’s _5_ of us.” The female programmer pointed out sceptically.

“Seren, you can help me.” The Doctor called from behind them where he was sitting on the ground and working with the wires. “I need all these wires stripped bare.”

Seren nodded and stepped over the wires that littered the ground. She tied her hair into a knot at the back of her head to keep it out of the way and sat on the ground near him, picking up a bundle of wires and begin stripping them bare.

“Right, now there’s _4_ of us.” The female programmer said sardonically.

“Then let’s move it!” Jack snapped. “Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!”

The two programmers hurried away to do as they were ordered while Lynda approached the Doctor. Seeing the blonde come up to him, he stood up to meet her.

"I-I just wanna say, um . . .” She stammered, fiddling with her sleeve. “Thanks, I s'pose. And . . . I'll do my best!" she smiled at him nervously.

“Me, too.” The Doctor replied with a gentle smile.

They moved towards each other, awkwardly trying to say goodbye – at one point the Doctor even looking as though he was going to kiss her forehead – settling on a handshake, laughing embarrassedly. Seren looked away, a pang of sorrow and annoyance shooting through her though she wasn’t sure why. They were facing an entire Fleet of Daleks, why was she feeling so annoyed because a pretty woman fancied the Doctor? It didn’t earlier when Lynda had admitted that she stayed behind because she didn’t want to leave him, so why did it now?

The Doctor watched Lynda leave and turned to Seren. She was stripping the wires just as he had asked her to, though she was doing it almost mechanically as if her mind was a million miles away. Before he could ask her what had her lost in thought, Jack approached them and came to a stop in front of the pair.

Seren stood up and dropped the wires on the ground as Jack smiled at them with a slight chuckle.

“It’s been fun!” He said as he chuckled lightly, trying to keep the tone light. The Doctor smiled at him while Seren let out a shaky breath, smiling with tears in her eyes. Jack became serious as he said, “But I guess this is good-bye.”

“Don’t say that.” Seren said pleadingly, the tears rolling down her cheeks as she shook her head at the ex-conman. “The Doctor’s going to succeed, _we’re_ going to succeed. You just watch.”

It was clear to all three of them that she wasn’t just trying to convince Jack, she was trying to convince herself as well – not that they would succeed, but that they would survive to tell about it.

“Star-Flower…” Jack said with a gentle smile, cupping her face with both hands and bending down to look into her amethyst eyes with his own sparkling blue ones. “You are worth fighting for.” He wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs before he leaned in and kissed her lips lightly. He pulled back and turned to the Doctor, dropping his hands from her face. “Wish I’d never met you, Doctor!” He told the Time Lord with a grin, cupping his face with both hands the way he had Seren’s. “I was much better off a coward.” He leaned in and kissed the Doctor lightly on the lips as well before pulling back and putting his hands on each of their shoulders, squeezing gently. He let go and pointed towards the exit, saying his almost trademark line with a grin, “See ya in hell.”

Seren and the Doctor watched him run off towards the lift, joining Lynda and the two programmers in defending the Doctor and Seren against the Daleks. With his departure, the Doctor and Seren were the only two left on Floor 500.

“He’s going to be all right.” Seren said shakily, turning to the Doctor as her tears rolled down her cheeks once more. He looked at her with his expressive blue eyes and didn’t reply as she repeated, trying to convince herself of the truth in her. “He’s going to be all right.”

They sat back down on the ground across from each other and resumed working, Seren stripping the wires and the Doctor fiddling with them to make the Wave work. She eventually stopped repeating her chant, though the hope and prayer played over repeatedly in her mind as she worked automatically.

“What if…” Seren started, speaking up for the first time in several minutes and breaking the silence that had fallen over them. She didn’t finish her sentence, knowing it to be impossible to carry out.

“What?” The Doctor asked after a few minutes, not looking up from the wires he was working with.

“Nothing.” She replied, shaking her head. A few strands came loose from the knot behind her head, framing her face. “Never mind.”

“You said, ‘what if’.” He pressed gently.

“I was just thinking, but you can’t…” Seren started, trailing off once more. “I was thinking of the possibility of going back to last week and warning them about what’s going to happen.”

“As soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events, stuck in the timeline.” He replied, not looking up.

“I thought so.” Seren said quietly, nodding in understanding.

“There's another thing the TARDIS could do.” He said softly, still busy working. Seren glanced up at him with a slight frown before looking back at the wires she was working on, wondering what he was thinking of. “It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989.”

“We could, but you would never do that.” Seren replied, the frown becoming a smile as she looked at.

“No, but you could ask.” He said seriously, looking at her. When Seren didn’t reply, only cocking her head to the side, he gave a small smile. “Never even occurred to you, did it?”

“Nope.” Seren replied, turning back to the wires in her hands.

When he didn’t say anything in response, she looked up at him and saw him smiling at her as though she meant the Universe to him. The intensity that he was looking at her with made her blush slightly as she smiled back at him. The sound of the computer whirring drew their attention and the Doctor looked up.

“The Delta Wave’s started building.” He told her, his face becoming serious and alert. “How long does it need?”

They both leapt up and rushed to the consoles, the Doctor sitting on the chair and Seren peering over his shoulder. The Doctor pressed a few buttons, entering several commands into the computer and looked at the screen as it displayed the read-out.

His face fell as he looked at the read-out.

“Is it really bad?” Seren asked worriedly. Instead of replying, he hung his head in despair. “Okay, it is really bad.” She muttered to herself, glancing at the screen herself, but not understanding the read-out. She turned back to him, slightly panicked, “How bad is really bad?”

He suddenly straightened up and whirled around to look at her, his eyes bright with fire. The sudden change in his demeanour had Seren jumping back slightly as he shot to his feet.

“Seren Rhosyn Jones, you’re a _genius_!” He exclaimed, placing a big kiss on her forehead.

“Thanks. I know I am.” Seren said, looking at him with a smile before it turned into complete confusion. “Why am I a genius?”

"We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline . . . yes!” He exclaimed excitedly and shooting off towards the TARDIS.

Seren frowned at his retreating figure, knowing that was he was saying was impossible – he had just told her that he couldn’t cross his own timeline. He was up to something, something that revolved around her somehow and he was beating around the bush instead of telling her. She followed him into the TARDIS, the frown still on her face as she watched him run up to the console. She stepped up beside him at the console, watching him.

“Hold that down and keep position." He told her, pointing to a lever. Seren didn’t move and he turned to her. “Seren.” He breathed softly, looking at her with bright eyes.

Seren stared into his eyes, looking beyond the excitement and saw that he was desperate, desperate to save her from the Daleks - by any means necessary, even if it meant crossing his own timeline.

“Seren, we don’t have-”

With watery eyes, she reached up and tugged at the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down and bringing their lips together, cutting him off. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, responding to the kiss. After several seconds, they pulled back and she stepped away from him, moving to the lever.

“What does the lever do?” she asked breathlessly, her cheeks flushed from the kiss.

For a moment, he stared at her with wide eyes, blinking owlishly.

“Cancels out the buffers.” He replied in a slightly high voice. He cleared his throat and continued, “If I’m clever – and I’m more than clever, I’m _brilliant_ – I might just save the world.” He smiled widely at her before frowning and adding in afterthought, “Or rip it apart…”

“I’d go with saving the world.” Seren said, looking up at the Time Rotor.

“Me, too.” He replied as he straightened up. “Now, I’ve just got to go and power up the Game station. Hold on!”

He turned and ran out of the TARDIS, filled with energy, and closing the door behind him. Seren let go of the lever with tears streaming down her face as she realized what he had done – he never was planning on crossing his own timeline. She went to the doors, resting her hand against the wood and closed her eyes. She took a breath and her eyes snapped open, filled with determination.

She stepped back, held up her skirt and kicked the door, silently apologizing to Idris. She kicked the door repeatedly, but it didn’t move, staying firm and keeping her inside.

“Doctor! Let me out!” she screamed, banging on the door after giving up on kicking it. “Doctor!” she turned to look up at the ceiling as the engines began whirring and taking them into the Time Vortex, “Idris, take me back to him!”

She turned and hammered at the door, despite knowing it was useless – the TARDIS was taking her away from the man she was in love with and the dearest friend anyone could have, keeping her safe while they met their possible deaths at the hands of the Daleks.

As they flew through the Vortex, a hologram appeared behind Seren, in front of the console.

“This is Emergency Programme One.”

Seren spun around at the Doctor’s slightly distorted voice, her hair starting to come loose from its knot, only to see the hologram of the Time Lord flickering in front of the console.

“Seren, now listen. This is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape.”

_“Na!”_   Seren screamed the denial, inadvertently speaking in Welsh, moving towards the hologram.

“And that’s okay.” The hologram continued. Seren stopped at the top of the ramp as she stared at the flickering image of the man she loved. "But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home."

_“Na, I won’t let you.”_ Seren said, still in Welsh, as she glared at the image. She stepped onto the console platform and looked at the hologram of the man she loved.

“And I bet you're fussing and moaning now, glaring and threatening to kill me. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die.” At the words, Seren’s mouth dropped open in distress. She shook her head in denial. “Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it, no one'll even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world'll move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing.” The hologram’s head turned to look at her, eyes filled with compassion, as though it knew she was there. When it spoke again, the voice was much less distorted. “Have a good life. Do that for me, Seren Rhosyn. Have a fantastic life.”

Seren watched in despair as the hologram flickered before fading away altogether.

_“I’m not letting you do this to me!”_   Seren yelled angrily in Welsh, tears streaming down her face and glaring at the spot the hologram was before striding over to the console. _“You can’t do this.”_   She raged at the TARDIS as she slammed every button and lever she could find, trying to change course. _“Take me back, Idris! Take me back!”_

The pain she was feeling was evident in her voice and on her face as she rattled the controls fruitlessly, Idris humming sadly at the back of her mind. Her frantic movements slowed, and she collapsed against the console, sobbing helplessly, hitting it with her fist as she pleaded with Idris to take her back.

Slowly, the engines died down and ground to a halt. Seren shot to her feet and ran across the room, rushing outside after flinging the doors open. She stumbled to a halt just outside the TARDIS as she took in the sight of the towering buildings of the Powell Estate flats, standing tall against the cloudy grey October skies.

Seren shook her head in denial and ran back inside the TARDIS, her long hair completely open and flying behind her, refusing to accept that she was returned to her own time or that she would never see the Doctor or Jack again.

_“Come on, Idris. Fly_.” Seren muttered, still in Welsh, as she jiggled the controls in near hysteria, trying to get them to work. _“Come on, please.”_   She banged her fists against the console hysterically as she screamed, _“Help me!”_

There was no reaction from the magnificent ship’s controls, only the sad humming from Idris that faded slowly before stopping completely.

Defeated and despaired, Seren slowly stepped outside, closing the door gently behind her. She leaned against the side panel as Mickey ran up to her, panting as he came to a stop across the road.

“I knew it!” he exclaimed as he looked both sides of the road before crossing and making his way towards her. “I was all the way down Clifton's Parade, and I heard the engines and I thought 'there's only one thing that makes a noise like that'." He stopped in front of her and saw the tear tracks that stained her snow-white cheeks. Immediately, concern filled him as he asked, “What is it?”

The question sent a fresh wave of tears down her cheeks as she blindly reached out to him. He gathered her in his arms and held her closely while she clung to him, rubbing her back and rocking her where they stood, running his fingers through her open hair soothingly. As she clung to him and sobbed uncontrollably, he pulled his mobile out from his pocket and sent out a text to Jackie, Rose, Adam and Siwan – he told them that Seren had returned but that she was inconsolable and to meet him at a nearby chip shop that they would frequent. Within minutes, he received the agreements and turned to Seren, who hadn’t noticed what he had done.

“Come on, Seren.” He said softly, gently guiding her across the road with his arms still around her. “There’s a chip shop nearby, we can meet Siwan, Adam, Jackie and Rose there.” She tightened her hold on his coat, not saying a word. “You don’t have to say anything but let’s get you out of this chill. You _are_ wearing a lehenga that’s leaving your entire midriff exposed as well as your arms and it’s the middle of October.”

She gave a small nod, Mickey feeling it more than seeing it as her head was tucked against his chest.

Reaching the chip shop, they sat down across from each other at a table by the widow. They were silent, Seren staring vacantly out of the window as Mickey placed an order for them all before sitting down and watching her helplessly.

Jackie and Rose were the first to arrive at the shop, Jackie wasting no time pulling Seren into a tight hug and Rose putting her arms around the two women while standing behind Seren. Seren numbly hugged back, her face tear-stained – she had no more tears left to shed.

Rose let go of them when they’re order was called, going to grab the food with Mickey while Seren sat back down, while Jackie sat across from her, joined by Rose and Mickey.

"And it's gone up-market, this place. They're doing little tubs of coleslaw, now." Jackie commented as her, Rose and Mickey opened their polystyrene containers and began eating. “It’s not very nice. Tastes a bit sort of clinical.”

Seren went back to staring out of the window silently, her container untouched in front of her.

“Have you tried that new pizza place on Minto Road?” Mickey asked, taking a bite of his chips and glancing at Seren. He picked up on Jackie’s hint of trying to have an ordinary conversation, hoping it would rouse Seren from her despondent state.

“What’s it selling?” Rose asked.

“Pizza.” Mickey replied.

“That’s nice.” Jackie commented. “Do they deliver?”

“Yeah.” Mickey replied, nodding as Adam and Siwan walked into the shop and came up to them.

“We came as soon as we could.” Siwan said, pulling Seren out of her chair and into a tight hug.

Siwan let Seren go and Adam pulled the amethyst-eyed Welshwoman into a tight hug before letting go. Seren sat back down at the table, retaking her previous position and oblivious to Siwan and Adam taking off their long coats.

Adam was wearing his standard work clothes, a black two-piece suit with a white shirt and off-white tie while Siwan was wearing a white long-sleeved zip-up blouse, black wide-legged trousers and black 6” high heeled platform ankle-strap sandals with silver and onyx earrings dangling from her ears and her black handbag* on the table. Her hair was swept up in a French twist with her glasses perched on her face.

The two of them sat down and Mickey filled them in on how he found Seren and how she had been since meeting her – everything he hadn’t been able to say in his texts.

“Oh, Seren. Have something to eat.” Jackie pleaded, looking helplessly at the woman.

She evidently decided to abandon the pretence of having an ordinary conversation, since it had done nothing to help draw the Welshwoman out of her despair.

“200 000 years in the future, the Doctor is facing a battle that he could die in.” Seren said quietly, her voice trembling as she stared out of the window. “And there’s _nothing_ I can do.”

“Well, like you said – 200 000 years. It’s way off!” Rose exclaimed.

Seren finally looked at them, at Jackie and Rose, with her large amethyst purple doe-eyes filled with pain and sorrow. The two blonde women involuntarily flinched when they saw the raw pain in the beautiful woman’s eyes despite the glasses providing a barrier – worse than the pain that they had seen when she had been 18 and her parents had been murdered.

“But it’s not, Aunt Jackie, Rose.” She said in quiet anger as she stared at them with impossibly large eyes. “That battle to decide the fate of the human race is happening right now. He’s fighting for us, for this planet!” She turned her expressive gaze to the table, glaring at the still-closed container in front of her as she spat, “And I’m just sitting here, eating chips!”

She turned and looked back out of the window, the anger fading just as quickly as it appeared and despair once again taking its place. Siwan and Adam exchanged looks, silently knowing that Seren would not heal until she was with the Doctor once more.

“Listen to me.” Jackie said, reaching out across the table and taking a hold of Seren’s curled fist that was resting on the surface. Seren turned to look at her as she continued, “God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him, and do you know why? Because he did the right thing - he sent you back to me, he sent you back to your sisters.”

Jackie looked at Seren for a moment before turning back to her chips, as though the topic was closed.

“What do I do now, Aunt Jackie? How do I go back to the life I led before?” Seren asked her in a desperate tone. “Getting up, catching the bus, going to work, coming back home, eating chips, going to bed and in between it all, worry over every little thing that happens? Is that all I’m supposed to do now?”

Adam and Siwan exchanged looks again. Like Seren, they both knew what it was like to try and go back to the way things were after being shown something incredible and amazing – Adam with the many lives he’d lived and Siwan from herself and Seren having spent much of their childhood in Cardiff with the Mara as their caretakers/ playmates, playing with them at the edge of the Lost Lands that existed in the woods that bordered the Estate they grew up in.

Siwan and Adam realized that for Seren, who had grown up with the Mara just as Siwan did, it wasn’t just about going back to a mundane life – it was about leaving the man she loved to die alone.

“It’s what we do.” Rose told her coldly.

“I can’t.” Seren said softly, shaking her head. “I can’t go back to just doing that.”

“Why? ‘Cos you’re better than the rest of us?” Rose asked, in the same cold tone.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Seren shouted in frustration, losing her composure. She paused and closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure and calm herself down. Jackie, Rose, Mickey, Adam and Siwan watched her as she took a breath and opened her eyes. “It was… a better life. And it wasn’t just the travelling and seeing the new and amazing things, it was _him_. Aunt Jackie, the Doctor healed a hole inside me that I never even knew had existed. And he showed me a better way of living the life you have been given.” She spoke quietly and earnestly. She turned to Siwan, Mickey and Rose, saying passionately, “You know what I’m talking about. He showed the three of you as well.”

Rose and Mickey, who had turned their gazes to the table when Seren began talking, glanced up at her and looked into her earnest eyes for a moment before looking back at the table. They were unable to look into the expressive gaze. Siwan, who understood Seren’s feeling in a way that Mickey, Rose and Jackie couldn’t, nodded in agreement to what Seren said.

“He showed you that you don’t just give up.” Seren continued passionately. “You don’t just let things happen. You make a stand, you say ‘no’. You have the courage to do what is right even when everyone else is running away and you’re terrified out of your wits. And I can’t-” she broke off, unable to continue.

Seren kicked the table in frustration and ran out of the shop, sobbing in despair. Siwan ran after her, pausing long enough to grab her purse and coat, while Jackie, Rose and Mickey looked at the table quietly.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” Adam asked them after a moment, once the sound of the door slamming shut behind the twins stopped echoing in their ears.

“Get what?” Jackie asked, glaring at him half-heartedly.

“She’s in love with him.” The oldest Immortal said, rolling his eyes.

“So, what? You want me to let my god-daughter waste away? Or have her find a way back to him, and possibly die as well?” Jackie asked him angrily, her half-hearted glare becoming full-blown.

“No.” Adam replied, glaring at her with his multi-coloured eyes. “I would have you support her as she grieves for the man she loves, and not try to make it about you.” Jackie and Rose opened their mouths to protest, but he cut them off before they could say anything. “You _were_ making it about yourselves. You are happy that she’s back, but you don’t realize that she’s back in body while her heart remained with him, 200 000 years in the future.” He looked at his watch and stood up, grabbing his coat. He moved to walk out of the shop before turning back and looking at Jackie, “What would you do, if the man you love was fighting to save your people, but you were unable to help him, unable to even stand by his side? Unable to be with him when you know that he might very well die by the time the fight was over?”

With those words, he walked out of the shop and went to his car, getting in and driving back to the hospital. Despite the situation going on, he was still a doctor and he had patients he needed to attend to. As much as he would want to go after Seren with Siwan, he had to return to the hospital, especially since he had a patient who was scheduled for an open heart surgery in one hour.

Mickey left the shop just after Adam drove off, the Immortal’s words echoing through his mind. As he ran to the Estate, knowing it to be one of the possible places Seren would go to, Mickey remembered how Seren and the Doctor had been when they were in Cardiff the previous month, he remembered Jack telling him how the two had been in-sync with one another on an almost instinctive level. He remembered how they had been with Mica, unknowingly giving the image of being a family. He also remembered how she had chosen the Doctor over him, and as much as it hurt, he knew it had been the right choice.

Entering the Tyler/ Jones flat, he found Siwan instead of Seren.

“What are you doing here, Mickey?” Siwan asked him, without any of her usual warmth.

“I’m looking for Seren.” He replied quietly, struck by the lack of warmth in the younger woman’s tone.

Like Seren, she was always friendly and kind, ironically enough even to people that were trying to mug or kill her (though Seren was the same, she was also more likely to scare the living daylights out of the person threatening her). So, being faced with the less than warm look from the woman was a realization that he hadn’t been Seren’s best friend when he stayed quiet in the chip shop.

“Why? To berate her for being unable to forget the Doctor? The way Aunt Jackie and Rose had done?”

“No.” Mickey replied, shaking his head. The honesty in the Londoner’s voice and his eyes softened Siwan’s anger and she nodded slightly as Mickey continued, “I’m here to be her best friend, like I should have been in the chip shop.”

“Good.” Siwan said, nodding. “But she’s not here. She hasn’t been here since she landed.” She shrugged sheepishly at Mickey’s ‘are you kidding me?’ look. “I was just about to go out and look for her on the grounds.”

“Let’s go.” Mickey muttered and the two left the flat, Siwan locking up behind them.

They spent the next several minutes looking in the different places Seren used to go – the roof and the back of each of the flat blocks among other places.

They finally found her on the tarmacked playground, sitting sideways on a bench with one leg on the seat, her chin resting on her folded arms over the back and staring into space. Her hair blew lightly in the wind, loosened completely from its knot, while her red skirts rustled gently, the woman unfazed by the chill. Mickey and Siwan exchanged looks and walked over to her, Siwan sitting next to the older woman while Mickey stood over her.

“Aunt Jackie and Rose want me to forget about the Doctor.” Seren said quietly, looking at them. She had been drawn back to the present when she felt Siwan sit down next to her. “ _How_ do I forget him? Especially when I don’t want to?”

She looked at them helplessly and they exchanged looks.

“Simple, you don’t forget him.” Mickey replied, shrugging. “He means that much to you, then you don’t even try to.”

“Mickey’s right, Seren.” Siwan said softly, looking at the despairing woman. “The same way we don’t forget Mam and Tad, you don’t forget the Doctor.”

“You live your life how _he_ would’ve wanted you to.” Mickey said gently, crouching down in front of her. “He must’ve said what kind of life he’d want you to live, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he asked me to-” Seren, who had shifted so that she could look at Mickey, cut herself off as she caught sight of something on the tarmac behind him.

“Seren?” Siwan asked as the older woman stood up and looked at the spray-painted words with wide astonished eyes.

‘BAD WOLF’

Astonished, Seren stood up and walked to the words, Mickey and Siwan following while exchanging confused looks. Seren looked around the playground and saw that ‘Bad Wolf’ had been graffiti’d all around the walls as well.

“It’s over here as well!” Seren exclaimed, running to the wall and looking closely at the graffiti.

“That’s been there for years!” Mickey exclaimed as he and Siwan followed her to the wall. “It’s just a phrase! It’s just words!”

“I thought it was a warning... maybe it’s the opposite.” Seren said softly to herself before turning to Siwan and Mickey. “Maybe it’s a message. The same two words that are written here and 200 000 years in the future.” Her voice became excited, her eyes lighting up once more. “It’s a link, between me and the Doctor! Bad Wolf here… Bad Wolf there!”

“Okay, so what’s it telling you?” Siwan asked, believing Seren without hesitation.

Mickey looked slightly more hesitant but didn’t say anything as he saw the excitement on Seren’s face; he would go along with it, if only to see something other than the listlessness she had been expressing for the past few hours.

“I can get back!” Seren exclaimed, running in the direction of the TARDIS. The two followed her. “I can at least help him escape!”

They ran as fast as they could back to the TARDIS. At the doors, Seren pulled her key chain out of her purse and opened the doors, letting herself, Siwan and Mickey inside.

“Okay, how are you going to get back to him?” Siwan asked as they walked up to the console.

“Well, all the TARDIS needs to do is make a return trip.” Seren replied hopefully. “Just reversing the flight path.”

“Yeah, but _we_ still can’t do it.” Mickey pointed out, pointing to the three of them.

“The TARDIS is telepathic.” Seren told them.

“Right, she’s alive, she can listen. I remember the hearing the humming last time.” Siwan said excitedly, remembering her first time inside the beautiful ship. The excitement faded, and she frowned, biting her lip, “But, there is no humming now.”

“So, she’s not listening now.” Mickey summarized, letting out a frustrated breath.

“We need to get inside her Heart.” Seren told them. They looked at her as though she had officially lost her mind. Seeing their expressions, she explained, “Last time we were on Earth, when we had run into Margaret again, this middle part,” she gestured to the portion of the console she was referring to, “opened and a bright warm light shone from it. The Doctor said that was the Heart of the TARDIS. He added that if the ship can translate languages, then it’s possible that the Heart can translate thoughts. If we can open the Heart and I look inside, I can tell her where I want to go.”

“Seren…” Mickey said softly, looking at her, though the woman was looking at the console.

“Hmm?”

“If you go back, you could die.” He told her quietly.

Siwan looked away, knowing it was true and also knowing that there was a chance that Seren would survive because of her immortality. Something that Mickey wasn’t aware of.

“That’s okay.” Seren said softly, looking at him and Siwan. Siwan looked back at Seren as the older woman continued, “I can’t sit back and let him die, even if it means risking my own life.”

“Okay. If you’re absolutely sure, let’s get this open.” Mickey replied determinedly, even though the thought of Seren dying scared him beyond anything else.

He looked at the console panel that covered the Heart, taking note of the dips and curves, the handles and the placement of the switches. Seren and Siwan stayed silent, hand-in-hand, watching as their best friend examined the console with keen eyes.

“We can try using a heavy chain to pull it open.” He said after several minutes. “Fasten one end to the car and the other to this part here.” He pointed to a handle on the console panel. “We can use my car, Adam took his back to the hospital and it’ll take too long to go and get it.”

“All right.” Seren said, biting her lip anxiously.

Siwan nodded and Mickey left the TARDIS to get his car.

“Can you promise me one thing?” Siwan asked, once the doors closed behind Mickey’s retreating back.

“What?” Seren asked, turning to her.

“Try to come back, yeah.” Siwan said, looking at Seren with tear-filled sapphire eyes. “Please, try to come back.”

“Oh, Siwan.” Seren breathed, wrapping her arms around the sapphire-eyed woman and hugging her tightly. Siwan returned the hug and held her tightly. “I promise to try my best.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” Siwan said softly as they pulled back from each other. The two women wiped their tears away and looked at each other, smiling as though it was an ordinary day.

“So, you moved in with Adam?” Seren asked her curiously, a smirk on her face.

“Yes, I did.” Siwan replied, grinning at the amethyst-eyed woman.

“He still trying to cook?” Seren asked, a giggle escaping her lips.

“Oh, yeah.” Siwan replied with an exasperated groan. “The man can’t make frozen dinners, and he still tries to cook.”

“At least he tries.” Seren pointed out.

“True. That’s why I love it when he does.” Siwan admitted. She sighed and looked up at the silent TARDIS’s ceiling, a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face. “It’s funny. He’s incredibly wealthy, yet he doesn’t try to lavish me with extravagant gifts or anything.”

“It’s because he knows how uncomfortable it makes you.” They heard Mickey’s voice behind them. Startled, the two women whirled around to look at him, and saw he was carrying a heavy metal chain in his hands with one end already fasten to the tow hitch of his Mini outside the TARDIS. He walked up to the console and began fastening the other end to the panel as he continued, “Even now, though the two of you are together, you still feel uncomfortable with his extravagant life – even if you mask it very well. Not to mention, you don’t take his money for granted, even though he has given you complete access to his bank accounts – he had even before you began dating.” He finished fastening to chain and turned to the two women, looking mostly at Siwan.

“Hmm. You have a point.” Siwan admitted softly, a thoughtful expression on her face

What Mickey had said was true - she _was_ uncomfortable with the extravagance of his life, not because she didn’t think she was worthy of him or because of any personal self-esteem issues, it was simply because she preferred the simple things in life. The timeless things that disappear in moments but can be held on to forever – going for picnic dates in lieu of dinner dates at fancy restaurants; staying home and making dinner together in lieu of going out to eat; dancing on the balcony or the roof of the Estate buildings or in the garden of his massive home in Hampstead under the moonlight.

“Well, let’s get the Heart of the TARDIS opened.” Mickey said, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to be cheerful.

Siwan and Seren nodded and Mickey went outside and got in his car, starting the engine. Seren and Siwan stood on either side of the rope next to the console. Jackie and Rose joined them after returning to the Estate, standing beside the TARDIS and watching as Mickey, Siwan and Seren attempted to open the console.

Mickey began driving forward slowly, trying to pull it open.

“Faster!” Seren yelled to him when the console didn’t move.

Mickey slowly pressed on the gas further and the chain became tauter as he burned rubber.

“Come on!” Mickey yelled, banging his hands against the steering wheel as he pressed the gas pedal entirely.

Seren chewed her bottom lip in anticipation as she watched the console hopefully.

“It’s not moving, Mickey!” Siwan yelled as the panel still refused to move.

Several tense minutes later, the chain shuddered before breaking in two. Seren growled in frustration, kicking the console before falling to her knees beside it in defeat, her forehead resting on the edge. Siwan crouched down beside her, putting an arm around the purple-eyed, slowly pulling her older sister up and guiding her to the jump seat, sitting her down.

Seren was unaware of Siwan moving her, staring into space, broken and defeated. She wasn’t aware of Rose and Jackie coming inside and leaning against the console in front of her and Siwan.

“It was never gonna work, sweetheart. And the Doctor knew that.” Seren slowly registered Jackie saying consolingly. “He just wanted you to be safe.”

“I can’t give up.” Seren said softly, firm despite the quiet tone.

“Lock the door. Walk away.” Jackie said gently.

“Uncle Pete wouldn’t give up.” Seren said, turning to look at her, eyes expressing the brokenness inside.

“Well, your Uncle isn’t here, is he?” Jackie replied. Her and Seren stared at each other for several seconds before Jackie added, “And even if he was, he’d say the same.”

“No, he wouldn’t Aunt Jackie.” Seren said, shaking her head as Jackie stared at her. “He would tell me to try anything I possibly can. If I could save the Doctor’s life, he’d tell me to try anything.”

“So would Mam and Tad.” Siwan added helpfully.

“Well we’re never gonna know.” Jackie muttered, crossing her arms and looking away.

“Well, I know Aunt Jackie, because I saw him again.” Seren replied, causing Jackie and Siwan to stare at her in shock. “I saw Uncle Pete again.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jackie said quietly, shaking her head.

“The Doctor took me back in time and I saw Uncle Pete again.” Seren said, sitting up and looking at her god-mother with fire in her eyes.

“Don’t say that.” Jackie said in a quiet voice, backing away from the Welshwoman slightly.

“Remember when Uncle Pete died? There were two people with him before Siwan and I ran out of the church. Two women.” Seren said, her voice beginning to crack under the pressure of suppressing her tears. Jackie stared at her in disbelief, finding it difficult to take in the younger woman’s words although knowing, at the back of her mind, them to be true. “A blonde in denim and a brunette in a lehenga. They held his hands and brought the girls back to the church.” Jackie didn’t reply, still staring at Seren as tears ran down the younger woman’s cheeks. “You saw them from a distance, Aunt Jackie! Think about it! That was Rose and myself. You saw us-”

“Stop it!” Jackie said abruptly, looking at her sternly.

“That’s how good the Doctor is-”

“Stop it! just stop it!” Jackie shouted angrily, tears beginning to fall from her blue-grey eyes.

She turned and ran out of the TARDIS sobbing, Rose shooting a tear-filled look at Seren before running after the older blonde. Seren gave into her tears, her body shaking with grief as she sobbed her heart out. Siwan out her arm around the not-so older woman, tears of sorrow falling from her own cheeks.

Siwan remembered the day Pete died, she remembered being in the church when he had been hit by the car and feeling as though her heart had stopped. She remembered Seren looking at her with wide eyes, the same expression on her face and the two of them running outside with their mother calling after them, she remembered running to Pete as he lay on the ground, two women sitting beside him and holding his hands as he died. She remembered herself and Seren reaching Pete after he had died and begging him to wake up, the two women comforting them and taking them back to the church, dropping them off inside the gate and walking away. Siwan also remembered her mother telling her that they had never seen either of the women again, though Glenda had admitted that the woman looked a lot like an older version of Seren – when Seren had first returned home after being in the TARDIS and Siwan learned of it being a time machine, she thought that the woman could have probably been Seren but didn’t say anything, not knowing if it really was her or not.

Slowly, the two sisters stopped crying and walked out of the TARDIS, joining Mickey beside his car. While Seren and Siwan were inside the TARDIS, he had parked it along the curb side.

“There’s got to be something we can do.” Mickey said as they leaned back against the Mini, one woman on either side of him as they stared at the TARDIS.

“Aunt Jackie was right.” Seren whispered defeatedly. “Maybe we should just lock the door and walk away. It is what the Doctor wanted me to do after all.”

“No, Seren.” Siwan said firmly, leaning around Mickey to look at her sister. “I’m not letting you give up just because we’ve hit a roadblock.”

“Neither am I.” Mickey said firmly, looking at Seren as well. “No way, not now. We just need something stronger than my car.” He looked around as he continued describing what they would need, as they heard the roar of an engine nearby. “Something bigger… something like that!”

They turned as the engine’s roar became louder and saw a big yellow recovery truck turn around the corner, driven by Jackie with Rose sitting in the passenger seat beside her. Seren and Siwan grinned in amazement as Jackie drove the truck to a halt in front of them, beside Mickey’s car.

Jack and Rose climbed out of the truck and strode over to them, the engine still running.

“Right, you’ve only got this until 6:00, so get on with it.” She said briskly, gesturing over her shoulder with her thumb at the truck behind her.

“Aunt Jackie, where in Arawn’s name did you get that from?” Seren asked amused, nodding at the truck.

"Rodrigo. He owes me a favour.” Jackie replied before becoming serious. “Never mind why, but you were right about your Uncle, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and this is exactly what he would've done.” She choked back the urge to cry as she tossed the keys to Mickey. “Now, get on with it before I change my mind."

Mickey caught the keys and nodded his thank to the older woman. Seren kissed Jackie’s cheek and ran inside the TARDIS, removing her heels as she ran up the ramp, followed by Siwan while Mickey ran to the truck and climbed in.

Rose ran to the back of the truck and reached in, grabbing a long length of a heavy metal chain, fastening one end to the truck and the other to the console.

“Okay, hit it!” Rose yelled to Mickey, running out of the TARDIS and stopping beside Jackie and Siwan.

Mickey pressed the gas down, just as he had done in his own car almost an hour earlier. As Mickey pressed on the gas pedal, the chain stretched and Seren looked at the console hopefully.

“Keep going!” Seren shouted to Siwan, Rose and Jackie.

“Put your foot down!” Jackie yelled to Mickey.

Mickey did just that and put his foot down harder on the pedal.

“Faster!” Seren yelled, looking out of the open doors.

“Give it some more, Mickey!” Rose yelled.

Mickey yelled as he pressed on the gas pedal with everything he had as the metal chain began to creak under the strain.

“Keep going!” Seren yelled, looking at the console as the chain became tauter and tauter, the metal creaking in protest.

“Come on, come on!” Jackie and Siwan yelled in unison.

“Keep going!” Seren yelled as she all but bent over the console.

“Give it some more!” Siwan yelled.

Mickey roared as continued to press on the pedal, bouncing slightly from the vibrations inside the truck.

Finally, the hook ripped off the handle and Mickey drove forward at the sudden lack of being held back. He stopped the truck just before he could hit the wall in front of him and looked back at the TARDIS in confusion, Siwan, Rose and Jackie looking at the hooked clasp that was dragged out of the TARDIS.

Inside, the panel burst open and a blinding warmth white gold light poured out. Seren stepped forward to look into the light and it reflected onto her face, a breeze gently blowing her long hair around her. Her glasses fell from her face and to the floor with a clatter, breaking in half without her noticing. The light streamed into her eyes in two golden streams as Idris began singing once more at the back of her mind.

“Seren!” Mickey shouted, climbing out of the truck and hurrying to the TARDIS.

Just before he, Siwan, Rose and Jackie could reach the blue box, the doors swung shut as the engines groaned to life, the TARDIS dematerializing.

The selfless and pure Welshwoman could feel the TARDIS hurtling through time, pouring unlimited energy into her.

Seren gasped as she saw all of time and space, the intensity and enormity of it. She saw the beginning, she saw the end, she saw all that lay in between.

The TARDIS rematerialized on Floor 500 of the Game Station and both doors flew open, revealing Seren standing in the doorway, barefoot. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant gold and she was silhouetted in a blinding golden light. She stepped forward as the energy tendrils curled around her, streaming outward.

The Doctor stumbled backward, falling to the ground as he looked at her glowing form.

“What have you done?” He asked her, a scared expression on his face.

Seren looked down at him, her eyes glowing and filled with the golden light of the Time Vortex.

“I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me.” She said in a timeless voice, all traces of her beautiful lilting Welsh accent gone.

“You looked into the Time Vortex.” The Doctor breathed in wide-eyed shock and terror. “Seren Rhosyn, no one’s meant to see that.”

_“This is the Abomination!”_ The Emperor roared through the viewscreen.

_“Exterminate!”_ A Dalek cried, firing a beam at Seren.

Seren looked at the Dalek and her eyes glowed as she held up her hand, freezing the beam and reversing it back to the gun -  as if pressing the rewind button on a remote. The Doctor watched the action in amazement and turned to look up at Seren intensely from where he was sitting on the ground.

“I am the Bad Wolf.” Seren said, looking back at him. He frowned slightly as she continued, “I create myself. I take the words...” She looked up at the wall where BAD WOLF CORPORATION was written high on the wall and waved her hand. “I scatter them in time and space.” The words ‘Bad Wolf’ rose up from the wall and the letters float away, vanishing into time and space. “A message to lead myself here.”

“Seren Rhosyn, you’ve got to stop this. You’ve got to stop this now!” The Doctor told her urgently, looking up at her pleadingly. Seren stared straight ahead as though she couldn’t hear him. “Seren, you’ve got the entire Vortex running through your head. You’re gonna burn.”

He looked at her pleadingly with wild concern in his blue eyes. Suddenly, she blinked and turned to look at him, the glow fading from her eyes and revealing the amethyst orbs.

“I want you safe.” She said as the tear tracks that had been masked by the light became visible on her face. The Doctor stared at her, taken aback. “My Doctor. Protected from the false God.”

_"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal."_ The Emperor roared through the viewscreen.

"You are tiny.” Seren said, looking back at the Emperor through the viewscreen. “I can see the whole of time and space - every single atom of your existence, and I divide them." She raised her hand, her eyes glowing gold once again, as the Dalek that had fired its weapon at her gently separated into golden, liquid-like particles and floating away before disappearing entirely. "Everything must come to dust . . . all things. Everything dies." She looked to the side were the Daleks that were lined along the wall were reduced to the same golden particles and disappeared. “And so the Time War ends.” She looked back at the Emperor through the viewscreen.

_"I will not die! I cannot die!"_ The Emperor roared as the spaceship disappeared in a golden wave.

Seren raised her hands, staring straight ahead as every other Dalek ship disappeared as well, in the same golden wave.

“Seren, you’ve done it. Now stop.” The Doctor told her urgently. “Just let go.”

“How can I let go of this?” Seren asked in a hushed, blissful tone. “I bring life.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a single moment, her eyes glowed brighter and several corridors away, Jack breathed again with new life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a parallel Universe far away, a little sapphire-blue eyed girl - one of two Chosen Ones of the Mara - woke up to the sight of a beautiful woman bathed in golden light, barefoot and wearing a lehenga though the exact colours were obscured by the light.

“Who are you?” the little girl asked in a lilting Welsh accent, rubbing her eyes and staring at the beautiful glowing woman.

“I am Bad Wolf.” The woman replied. “Siwan Aderyn Jones, will you choose a mortal life while the man you love lives for eternity or while you choose an immortal life and walk eternity by his side?”

“I don’t know.” The little girl, Siwan Aderyn Jones, replied honestly, looking up at the glowing woman with large sincere eyes. She sat cross legged on her bed as the woman stood beside her. “Do I have to make my choice now?”

“I exist throughout time and space. When the time comes, you may make your choice.” The woman replied.

“Thank you, Miss. Bad Wolf.” Siwan replied with a brilliant smile.

“Know this, when you make your choice, it will be final.” The woman warned. “Once it is made it cannot be rescinded. Should you choose immortality with the one you love, you will not face your final death until the moment that he does. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I do.” Siwan replied seriously.

“Very well.” The woman said and stepped back slightly.

She waved her hand and the little girl glowed with a brilliant golden light, obscuring her from sight for several seconds. When the light cleared, the little girl was fast asleep, curled above her covers. The woman waved her hand once more and the little girl was tucked beneath the covers, her palms under her cheek as she slept peacefully.

When Siwan would wake up the next morning, she would tell her sister. Seren Jones, and her god-parents, Jackie and Pete Tyler, about the dream she had of the golden woman, not remembering the particulars or the conversation. Over time, she would forget about it until she was much older and faced, once again, with the choice at the time of her first death – return for one mortal life while her love walked eternity alone or return for an immortal life with her love until he faced his final death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“But this is wrong! You can’t control life and death!” The Doctor exclaimed, terrified.

"But I can.” Seren said, looking back at him as the glow faded from her eyes once again. She felt at complete peace with the power coursing through her, as though it were the most natural thing in the Universe. “The sun and the moon . . . the day and night."

“The power’s gonna kill you and it’s my fault.” The Doctor cried in anguish, lowering his head.

"I can see everything." Seren said and Doctor raised his head again, looking at her in shock. "All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."

He abruptly stood up, looking down at the tiny woman as though he suddenly understood.

“That’s what I see. All the time.” He said softly. “Doesn’t it drive you mad?”

“No, it feels like the most natural thing of all.” She replied honestly before looking at him with fear. “Why does it feel like this?”

“Come here.” He said as he held his hands out to her.

“What am I becoming?” She asked as he took her tiny hands in his own larger ones.

“I think you need a Doctor.” He said with a gentle smile.

They stepped around slowly to face each other. The Doctor gazed into her large eyes for a second, then gently, carefully leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. As he kissed her, she could feel the Vortex flowing out of her and into him.

_‘No!’_ She thought, pulling away just before he could absorb the last of the Vortex.

They gazed at each other for several moments, oblivious to their surroundings before Seren’s eyes fluttered to a close and she fainted into his arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seren woke up as they were flying through the Time Vortex, finding herself laying on the ground by the console, still barefoot.

“What happened?” She asked, sitting up and looking around the room. She could see clearly so she assumed that she was wearing her glasses, so used to the feel that she would barely notice their presence.

“Don’t you remember?” The Doctor asked mildly surprised.

 “Yes, I do.” She admitted, looking at him. “I wanted to see of you would lie to me. If you would lie and tell me what you want me to believe.”

The Doctor stared at her and she stared back at him, unflinching.

“I know that you kept a bit of the Vortex.” He said quietly, still staring at her.

“I was fine.” She said adamantly. “You didn’t have to absorb the Vortex.”

The Doctor looked away, breaking the staring contest and looking at his hands. Seren looked at her own and noticed the faint golden light shimmering along her veins and arteries, not only her hands, but her arms and her abdomen as well, every part of her skin that she could see had the shimmery golden light running along her veins and arteries. She frowned at the sight and looked up at the Doctor, noticing him watching her with a gentle smile.

“Seren Rhosyn Jones,” he said with a small laugh before Seren could ask about the gold shimmers running along her body. “I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona - not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place - they've got dogs with no noses." He laughed at his own joke and Seren giggled as well, half-rolling her eyes. “Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it’s still funny!”

“Then why wouldn’t we go?” Seren asked, looking at him with a smile.

“Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this.” The Doctor replied vaguely, grinning at her and turning back to the monitor.

“You’re not making any sense!” Seren told him, standing up slowly as he stared at the monitor with a vague smile.

“I might never make sense again.” He retorted. “I might have two heads, or no head.” He laughed at the thought as Seren nodded with a bemused smile on her face, running her fingers through her tangled mess of curls. “Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement.” She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling. “But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with-” the Doctor broke off suddenly as he was propelled backwards with a blast of golden light and doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach as though he had been punched.

“Doctor!” Seren exclaimed, rushing towards him in concern.

“Stay away!” He yelled urgently, halting her in her tracks a foot away from him.

She stared at him with wide eyes as he winced in pain.

“Doctor, please tell me what’s going on.” Seren pleaded, worried about what was happening to him.

“I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that.” He told her, trying to keep his tone light despite the pain etched across his features. Seren stared at him in concern as he looked back at her seriously as he added, “Every cell in my body's dying.”

“Can’t you do something to heal yourself?” Seren asked frantically.

“Yeah, I’m doing it now.” He said slightly cheerful. “Time Lords have this little trick, it's… sort of a way of cheating death. Except…” he looked into her eyes. “It means I'm gonna change.” Here eyes widened in realization as she stared at him. He was talking about regenerating. “And I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face.” He chuckled as he gestured to his face, trying not to scare her. “And before I go…

“Don’t say that, please.” Seren pleaded, tears of guilt filling her eyes.

This was her fault, he was regenerating because he absorbed the Time Vortex from her.

“Seren Rhosyn…” He said softly, and she visibly backed down, listening to what he wanted to say. "Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic." He smiled at her with pride. “Absolutely fantastic.” She looked back at him, unable to return the smile as her tears threatened to fall from her large eyes. “And d’you know what?” She shook her head mutely in response and he grinned widely at her. “So was I.”

Seren smiled at the last comment and nodded in agreement. The Doctor smiled widely back at her for a few moments before he suddenly convulsed. Orange-gold energy exploded from every visible part of his skin – blasting out from the neck of his jumper up towards his face and the sleeves of his jacket down his hands. Seren stumbled backward, shielding her eyes from the intensity of the light and heat, still not noticing the lack of glasses on her face. Despite the intense light and heat, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight and stared, transfixed, as slowly and gradually, the Doctor's hair lengthened slightly, and his face changed until the energy faded away, leaving a completely new man standing in front of the Welshwoman, still wearing his previous incarnation’s clothes.

The new incarnation was handsome with a tall, slim frame, finely boned hands and face, thick brown hair and sideburns, large, soulful dark brown eyes, and pale skin a few shades darker than Seren’s own snow-white and scattered with freckles.

He looked slightly surprised for a moment as he regained his bearings following the change before blinking and turning to look at Seren, who was clinging to a coral pillar and looking at him with open-mouthed shock.

“Hello!” He exclaimed in a somewhat cultured cockney accent flecked with hints of Scottish. “Okay – oo.” He gulped and ran his tongue over his teeth and said thoughtfully, “New teeth. That’s weird.” He glanced at her for a moment before asking, “So, where was I?” he didn’t wait for an answer as he looked at her with a smile saying, “Oh, that’s right! Barcelona.”

He grinned at her as she still stared at him in open-mouthed shock, her eyes wide.

_ Links: _

_*Siwan work outfit -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478447574/_ ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879478447574/)


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